5-4-10 IKF Region 6 Gold Cup Round 2 Race Report
Article By: Northwest Karting News

Round two of the 2010 Gold Cup/Rotax Max Challenge series would find the competitors back at Tri City just twenty eight days after closing out round one here. Hosting the event this time around was the Seattle Kart Club. Weather, as it turned out would not be a factor, as this weekend saw mild temperatures and blue sky’s throughout.

Prior to racing getting underway, there was some unfortunate, and truly sad business to attend to. Northwest Racing had lost one of its own just a week earlier at this very track. Well known Kart shop owner and avid race supporter Art Carpenter had suffered a fatal heart attack at the previous week’s Tri City club race. At the drivers meeting Terry Bridges gave prayer, while everyone present was left to their own thoughts and memories of Art. Upon conclusion of the driver’s meeting Art’s son took to the track in loving memory of his father, he wore his father’s helmet and hoisted a checkered flag as he made his way around the track in his number 31 kart.

Once again turn out would prove to be strong as more than 160 racers showed up to contest their chosen classes. Among the many race teams represented were notables such as CMC, Italian Motors, Kartsport Northwest, Kartel motorsports, Revolution Karting and BBR. One Driver of interest was Canada’s Bryce Choquer, having just represented Team Canada in the Jr. Rotax class at the 2009 Rotax Max Challenge World finals. He would compete this weekend for the first time as a Senior. NwKnews caught up with him after the event to get his perspective on the weekend’s events. “I’m very excited to have finally gotten the chance to race in the senior class, the competition is higher with so much more action. I’m looking forward to
running a couple more gold cups this year, Greg Moore Raceway for sure”.

Races were run under the direction of Bam Racing, and action was called by Pro Sound Audio’s Terry Bridges. The weekend went off without a hitch as there was a noticeable sense of camaraderie among all present. This weekend as it turned out, would be for Art.
 
Rotax Micro Max/ Gazelle:
Right out of the gate the spectators were seeing yellow, as there were two wild karts on the front row throughout the entire weekend. It was Davey Manthei who led the field taking home the win for Gazelle, and the 8c of Conner Robistelli who took first place for Rotax Micro Max. Right up there
in the mix was the #9 of Job Kandris who earned his second place spot in Gazelle. Following close behind was a battle for second in Micro Max between Seth Appel and Mason Morgan, as the two went back and forth throughout all heats. In the end it was Morgan who finished second, this would be young Morgan’s second podium of the year in as many attempts.
Clearly Mason has a handle on the move up to the micro class. Seth Appel finished third, with Zachary Nino in fourth, and Deirdra O’neil in fifth.

Rotax Jr:
Arguably one of the most exciting classes to watch at Round 2 was Rotax Jr; did these guys and gals draw a crowd or what. The race for the first place spot all weekend was between Parker McKean, Artie Carpenter, and the young Canadian Mathew Moniz. These three led the field in the first two heats, going back and forth all vying for the win. Not far behind the top three, were the #55 of Kyle Byers and the #32 of Austin Hudson, both determined to catch the front pack. By the time the main came around, the top three front runners were ready to battle it out for first place one last time. The green flag was thrown for the main, and the pack went flying into turn one causing a spectacular crash collecting more than half of the field. McKean was able to
get through untouched and took off as the rest of the class scrambled to make their way back onto the track. This gave McKean a commanding lead, leaving Carpenter, Moniz, Byers, and Hudson having to make up for lost positions. McKean took the first place spot, followed by Moniz who was able to make an impressive run back up to second, with CJ Gannon displaying some great driving to pull down the third spot. Byers made his way back up to fourth, with Selliken in fifth, and Carpenter only having enough time to reach the sixth place spot.

Rotax Mini Max:
What a showing it was for the Mini Max class. These young guns were able to keep the crowd coming to the fence all weekend long. Here it was Davey Manthei and Sting Ray Robb out in front through the duration of all three heats, with a very fast Kyle Wick right there in third hungry for a win as well. With the top three front runners leading the way, there were many battles going on for the fourth, fifth, and sixth place spots, tied in with some impressive racing from Brown, Taylor, Preston, and Eakins. This was a very
competitive class and these guys fought hard for their positions all weekend. In the end it was Sting Ray Robb driving for the Kartel Motorsports Team who would take home the first place spot, followed by Kyle Wick in second, Tyler Brown in third, Justin Taylor in fourth, and Jake Preston with an impressive fifth place finish. Well done Mini Max!

Rotax international:
Saturday qualifying found Andrew Zimmer on pole with a blistering time of 39.08 followed by the young Canadian Bryce Choquer. If there were any questions regarding Choquer’s ability to run competitively in the senior ranks he quickly put them to rest with a qualifying time of 39.23 just .15 off the pole! Round one winner Joey Mcguire qualified 3rd with Kory Estell, and Darren
Ward rounding out the top five. Sunday’s heat two had Choquer on pole with
McGuire outside row one due to a post tech infraction charged to Zimmer. There was action throughout the field in this race as Zimmer made his way up to finish fourth, from dead last! Meanwhile Choquer and McGuire battled for the top spot, ultimately Choquer would prevail and take the win. The 64 kart of Darren Ward made several daring moves to wind up in the third spot. While Kory Estell secured the fifth position one behind Zimmer. Sunday’s Main was similar to Saturday’s heat race, once Zimmer was able to move to the third spot and engage the leaders the show was on. As in Saturday’s heat race it was Zimmer’s speed that would dictate the outcome of this race; he really earned the victory with a great display of driving. Bryce Choquer took home the second spot after a solid performance all weekend long. McGuire, Ward, and Estell rounded out the top five.

IAME Leopard Jr 3:
In the IAME Leopard Jr 3 class it was the #31 of Artie Carpenter who couldn’t be touched all weekend. Carpenter put his Top Kart on pole with a fast time of 39.44. In the second place spot, staying consistent in all three heats, was Parker McKean, who despite his many efforts was unable to catch Carpenter. Throughout the race it seemed that the drivers were all paired up in two’s battling it out for their positions. Behind the top two front runners Thomsen and Schultz fought for third place, while Laithwaite and McAllister battled for the fifth place spot. The end result was a well earned win for Carpenter, followed by McKean in second, Thomsen in third, Schultz in fourth, and Laithwaite rounding out the top five.

IAME Cup:
Ruscitti started out the weekend putting his kart on pole with a fast lap of 39.57. Saturday was all Hargrove, as Ruscitti and Blair went back and forth behind him fighting for the second place spot. When Sunday rolled around it was anyone’s guess who was going to take home the win. In the end, it was Ruscitti who took home first, followed by Blair in second, and Hargrove in third.

Shifter:
The Shifter class was one to keep an eye on as it would be a hard fought battle for first between the Italian Motor drivers Remo Ruscitti and Scott Hargrove. Ruscitti took pole with a fast lap of 38.58, putting Hargrove off
pole. With Hargrove taking first place in heats one and two, it was Ruscitti who was able to make his way to the front for the main, while McKean worked his way through the field up to third. Ruscitti took first, followed by Hargrove in second, McKean in third, and Kim in fourth.

Briggs World Formula Heavy:
For the second race of the season the World Formulas were the largest class of the event with 22 drivers looking for a podium spot. Tim Lawrence’s time of 43.55 would put him on the pole with the next 8 qualifiers separated by less than 3 tenths of a second. This was the making of great race. With a 50% invert of the field for the heat race Tim Lawrence had his work cut out to catch
up to brother Terry who was gridded on pole for the heat. With a clean start and great racing Tim made it up to the fourth spot giving an off pole start for the main. The main had seen some great racing as there was passing and moves made throughout the range of drivers. The checkered flag dropped to Tim and Terry Lawrence finishing one and two with Robbie Calhoun third. Finishing out the top ten were Gabriel Kajdy, Mike Schorn, Brett Lucas, Chris
Hatch, Austin Moon, Jeff Mullins, and Bryan Green.

Briggs World Formula Medium/ Masters:
In the medium’s, the fast qualifier was Brett Lucas with a time of 42.91 to put him on pole. Meanwhile it was Gabriel Kajdy who took pole for Masters with a
fast lap of 44.13. Lucas led the Mediums throughout the weekend, however it was Terry Lawrence who was able to get around Lucas in the main event with Tim Lawrence and Robbie Calhoun close behind. For the Masters it was Kajdy who took a commanding lead as Chris Hach, Bryan Green, and Ryan Krassitt fought hard for second. For the Mediums Terry Lawrence took
first, followed by Lucas in second, Tim Lawrence in third, Calhoun in fourth, and Gasaway in fifth. In the Masters it was Kajdy who took first, followed with Hatch in second, Green in third, Kassett in fourth, and Mullins rounding out the top five.

Briggs Gas Animal Heavy:
Briggs Gas Animal Heavy was filled with constant battles between the front runners. Brett Lucas took the top qualifying spot with a fast lap of 44.49, putting Alan Cathy off pole. By the end of the first heat it was Terry Lawrence who was able to find his way to the front with father and daughter Corey and Brooke Poynor not far behind. After a very intense main event, it was Terry Lawrence who took the victory, due to a DQ in tech for Corey Poynor, followed by Lucas in second, Brooke Poynor in third, Alan Cathey in fourth, and Green to round out the top five.

Jr 2 Briggs Gas Animal Heavy:
It was Michael Gutenberger who started off the weekend qualifying with a fast lap of 44.24, putting Myles Pederson outside row one. By the end of heat one it was Nicole Behar who lead the pack, while the battle for second continued behind her between Groff and Manthei. At the start of the main it was the two ladies Groff and Behar on the front row. These two were able to get out in front and run the table close together for most of the race, with Pederson, Gutenberger, and Manthei running close behind. With an unfortunate spin, Behar lost her second place position and ran out of time to make her way back to the front. It was Hailey Groff who finished first, followed by Pederson in second, Gutenberger third, Manthei in fourth, putting Behar in fifth.

Jr 1 Briggs Animal Light:
With nine racers in the field it was to be a great race for the day. Top qualifiers Britney Zamora and Sting Ray Robb were right on pace from last race and wanted that taste of victory for the first time this season. In the heat contact with left Sting Ray on side after three laps giving Zamora a sigh of relief for the win. In the final however Improvement by all the drivers made
this 2 battle race. With Zamora taking the early lead and keeping through out the race. It was tough though as the faster Robb was working hard to take advantage of any error that Zamora didn’t let happen this time. With a great battle for third ensued between Kyle Adams , Justin Demars, Bryce Peterson in the second all trading positions several times Petersen retiring after 8 laps with Demars over Adams at the finish. Not to be left out the pack of JR 1’s who all put on a great show with Devin Smith, Thibaut Ertle, Kellen Dean, Gaetan Ertle, Bryce Peterson finishing out the field.

Jr 1 Briggs Gas Animal Heavy:
The two young competitors Brittney Zamora and Sting Ray Robb would soon meet again in the Jr 1 Briggs Gas Animal class. These two fought long and hard all three heats and it was anyone’s guess who would come out on top here. Not far behind, Demars and Adams would go head to head again as well, along with the third battle between the #68 and 86 of Gaetan and Thibaut Ertle. This time around, it was Sting Ray Robb who claimed victory, with Zamora right there to take second. A very fast Bryce Peterson was able to make his way up to the third place spot, with Adams in fourth, Smith in fifth, and an unfortunate spin out earlier in the race left Demars in sixth.

Jr 2 Briggs World Formula/ Jr 2 Briggs Gas Animal:
Michael Gutenberger started where he left off from last race, and that was fast. Gutenberger was able run comfortable in the heat and main with no challenge this weekend; but give it time and a Tiffany Brown along with Nick Ferguson and David Schorn searching for more, will work to get pick it up for the next race. JR 2 Animal saw Nicole Behar find her way around fast qualifier Hailey Groff on the start and was able to hold her off for the final. New for this
season, Payton Manthei showing potential with his new wild kart chassis is sure to be in the hunt for first in the next race.

F 200/ Super Sportsman Heavy:
Well the excitement from the last race didn’t drop off as Brooke Poynor was able to hold off fast qualifier Joey Miller for over 9 laps in the main when Miller had a lapse concentration at lap 10 and did not finish. Dad Corey Poynor as well as Steve Adkins tried their luck at the younger Poynor, but to no avail as Brooke buckled down and focused on the checkered flag. Rounding out the 10
deep field was Brett Bowen, Alan Cathey, Michael Croff, Donny Clark, John McNeil, Jerry Pitts and Joey Miller.

5-4-10 Skusa Mountain Region Readies for 2010 Debut

First of four weekends set for inaugural season in Colorado

A new era is set to begin for karting in the state of Colorado and the surrounding regions. The new Superkarts! USA Mountain Region Series will make its debut on May 7-8 at the Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, bringing the SKUSA attitude back to this hot bed of karting. The event will be the first-ever kart race held at the 13-year old motorsports venue, which will make Pikes Peaks amazing facilities available to the karting community. Outside the confines of the oval, a 9/10-mile temporary circuit on a smooth 12-acre parking surface will be utilized for the opening weekend of the SKUSA Mountain Region Series.

The series and the event will be guided by a number of veterans within the sport. The track layout has been designed by Rocky Mountain Kartworks AJ Noud, a seasoned shoe behind the wheel, not to mention a former SuperNationals race winner. On-track activities will be overseen by race director Curt Kistler, who also has a strong karting resume, and he will be working with the newly formed Pikes Peak Kart Racing Club to man the corners, scales and other key positions. Angie MacEwen will operate the timing & scoring duties, as she has for a number of SKUSA SuperNationals, the new Pro Tour and other Colorado regional events. Superkarts! USA Technical Advisor John Motley will handle the technical inspections for the event, keeping everyone on the safe and fair line. SKUSA Director of Operations Stan Bryniarski will also be on-hand to assist the SKUSA Mountain Region crew with on-track duties. To round out the special attendees, Superkarts! USA CEO Tom Kutscher will be trackside to provide support for the new region while handing out the podium awards at the end of the racing action.

Im very excited to be heading to Colorado next weekend to begin the new SKUSA Mountain Region, stated Kutscher. We have had a number of supporters at the SKUSA SuperNationals from the state and most recently at the SKUSA Pro Tour debut. Its time we return the favor by offering the type of regional racing that we provide in other sections of the country to the Rocky Mountain area.

The event will kick-off on Friday, May 7 with a full day of practice. From sun-up to sun-down, 10-minute sessions will take place for the categories competing on the weekend. Following the on-track action, the series will host a SKUSA-style tri-tip barbeque with free beverages, thanks to the series supporters. Saturday will be race day with practice, qualifying, two heat races and the main event for the eight categories competing. The categories offered will mirror that of the Superkarts! USA class structure; S2 (Semi-Pro Stock Moto), S3 (Novice Stock Moto), S4 (Masters Stock Moto), S5 (Junior Stock Moto), TaG Senior, TaG Master, TaG Junior, and a local option Cadet category.

A unique viewing option will be available for the event as the Pikes Peak facility will be opening up the spotters deck on the main grandstands for race viewing. A short elevator ride to the summit of the 12-story building will offer a first of its kind viewing option of a kart race. Sure to be taking photos from the viewing deck will be Mitch Bowers of Imagewerx.us, named the official photographer of the SKUSA Mountain Region Series Round 1 event.

For those who have questions or would like to find out more information about the SKUSA Mountain Region program, visit www.skusamountainregion.com or www.skusamr.com It is recommended that regional competitors submit their membership and license applications to SKUSA headquarters as soon as possible.
 

4-29-10 IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals Taking Shape
Article by: timipromotions.com 

TiMi Promotions and Willow Springs Kart Club gearing up for June event

The 2010 International Kart Federation (IKF) 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals are just around the corner as TiMi Promotions and Willow Springs Kart Club are working diligently to prepare for the prestigious event. Set for June 22-26, 2010, the Willow Spring Kart Track in Rosamond, California will be packed with karters from the West Coast and across the country, all fighting to earn their own IKF Duffy award and to become a Grand National champion.

The 2010 Grand Nationals will be presented by the Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, the host site of event. The Rosamond, California facility features three road courses (2.5-mile, 1.8-mile, and 1-mile), a 1/4-mile paved oval, a 3/8-mile dirt oval, and the 6/10-mile karting circuit that will be used for the Grand Nationals event.

Action at the Willow Springs facility will begin on Monday, June 21 with the first day of controlled practice. The following day, Tuesday, June 22, will be the official practice day for the event. Wednesday, June 23 will be the first of four race days, with five classes scheduled each day for a total of 20 IKF Duffys to be awarded on the week. Also scheduled for the opening day of racing will be a free barbeque for all the drivers and crew. Other events are in the planning process for the remaining nights.

The exciting part of the Grand Nationals in 2010 will be racing under the lights. The Willow Springs facility is equipped with lighting to hold races at later hours of the day. This will allow competitors and attendees to avoid the hot conditions during the day hours and enjoy the racing action as the sun goes down. Events are scheduled to begin with the track open at 3:00 pm and ending near the 10:00 pm mark.

Thus far, nine companies have stepped up to support the event as class sponsors. AIM Sports, BKS, Courtney Concepts, Italian Motors, Mike Manning Karting, PKS, RLV, Scribner Plastics, and TNR Motorsports are the current class sponsors and will present the IKF Duffy for their respective classes. TiMi Promotions and WSKC are currently accepting any interested companies that would like to put in their support for the event and these individuals are encouraged to contact Mike Manning or Tim Holden.

Key staff positions have been named for the 2010 IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals. Dave Brant will be the Race Director for the event. A race director in the 4-cycle categories, Brant is moving over to the 2-Cycle division and current holds the same position for the IKF Region 11 Super Series. The Tech Director for 2010 will be John Motley. As a member of the organizations Tech Committee, he and his staff are expected to be very fair and thorough during the week. The voice on the microphone for the Grand Nationals will be Chris Scribner. A long-time NorCal karter, Scribner will return as the events emcee throughout the week and provide a live web cam during the action with details to be released at a later time.

Leading up to the Grand Nationals, the Willow Springs Kart Club instituted a mini-series within the club championship. In a best four of five points chase, the club will be awarding a free entry to the Grand Nationals to nine classes that will compete at the June event. Those who participated in the minimum of four races in the mini series and a member of WSKC in 2010 will also have a chance at a number of prizes courtesy of Bridgestone, Douglas Wheels, RLV, Scribner Plastics, Burris Racing, and TRP. Also included will be a drawing for a GPS system for the MyChron 4 from AIM Sports and one class at the Cory Krusemans Sprint Car and Midget Driving School, certainly a club racing prize package like no other.

Another factor that will help boost entries, aside the prestige of the event, will be the change in the punch rule. IKF has lowered the punch rule from three races (3) to two (2), welcoming those drivers who have not been able to achieve three-race requirement before the June event. To download an entry form for the 2010 IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals, click over to http://www.timipromotions.com/docs/GN_Pre-Reg_Form.pdf

TIMI Promotions, directors of the Willow Springs Kart Club, launched the redesign of the club website - www.timipromotions.com  - which contains all the information you need on the club as well as the IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals. Those who have questions or would like to find out more information about the Willow Springs Kart Club or the June 22-26 Grand Nationals event are asked to contact Mike Manning at 661.256.7500 and Tim Holden at 818.701.7151.
 

4-28-10 Top Five for Scribner Motorsports at All American Speedway
Story & Photos By RaceMediaGroup.com

This past weekend Chris Scribner Driver of the Scribner Motorsports/Heritage Hotel Group Chevrolet car grabbed a top five finish, the first for the team. Scribner is in his second year of competition at All American Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen Late Model division and is looking for more top finishes for 2010.

Scribner posted solid results in practices leading up to the day, then put his machine at the top of the charts in qualifying holding fast time till late when Scribner got bumped to third. In the trophy dash Chris started outside front row. Hampered on the outside lane on the start due to oil on the track from the earlier division, Scribner couldn’t hold the position and fell to third in the 4 lap race.

Scribner would start in the ninth position for the 44 lap Main Event for the night. Chris picked off a few positions early before settling in to run consistent laps. Late in the race Scribner found himself in 5^th position and held on to the finish. “This is a good finish for the team and all the hard work they have done to help me get the car competitive. We still have a lot of work to do to get the car even better, but this definitely helps the moral of the team and our early point’s position,” Says Scribner. Scribner got moved up an additional position to fourth after a competitor was found non-compliant in post race tech.

Additional information on Scribner Motorsports 2010 season can be obtained from the teams website www.scribnermotorsports.com.  The Team will contest the 2010 All American Speedway NASCAR Late Model 27 race series with Team Partners Heritage Hotel Group, RMG Race Media Group, Star Racing Supply, Zamp Helmets, Scribner Plastics, Powertrain Technology, Eibach Springs, Vicci Racing Apparel, MSD Ignition, Flowmaster, AD3 Graphics, Allstar Performance, and KRC Power Steering.

4-29-10 Great Racing at Prairie City Crossover Close to 200 Kart Entry Goal!

This past weekend the crossover series with the combined effort of three local clubs (Kinsmen, Prairie City, Blue Max) had round two of the three race series at Prairie City Kart Club promoted by All Star Karting. All Star has come out in 2010 with enthusiasm and a racer friendly atmosphere bringing Prairie City back to the top of favorite tracks to attend in Northern Ca. Whatever their secret is, it’s working! The facility saw 180 Kart racers practicing Saturday, and 150 racing on Sunday showing that a 200 entry Norcal Kart Race is not far out of reach.

The Crossover saw some big winners including Bordogna's Nitro Nick grabbing two victories in the Jr 1 division and Leading Edge's Brett Felkins grabbing two in Senior. JR Raczko also picked up two in Jr 2 while Ryan Raspberry bested a star studded field in the Tag Sr class. Other big winners included two Emmick Cobra drivers Paul Holbein winner of Tag Masters and Wayne Rolls winning 125 Stock Moto. The highlight of the weekend would have been the Clone category of 17 karts. This class is building steam, and come time for the first ever Clone Nationals, Prairie city and All Star Karting will be looking at a 200+ entry Race.

Next weekend will be the IKF race at Prairie City as that series will be having their fourth round of the series. Also in the coming months will be the before mentioned Clone Nationals. The Gold Rush series also is on top for the later summer. Below is the top ten results of the Crossover event. For further results visit the Mylaps link, and for pictures of the event check out the NorcalKarters.com Picture gallery at ScribnerRacingPromotions.Zenfolio.com.

Top Ten Results
Kid Kart
1 Santino Gigliotti
2 Brandon Apodaca
3 John Hughes
4 Jessica McManus
5 Ryan Cox
6 Kyle Rossi
7 Arianah Calvo
8 Oliver Calvo

Kid Kart 2
1 Thomas Mejia
2 Max Bachmann
3 Stephon Daniel
4 Camillo Mejia
5 Clayton Williams
6 Chrystianna Brickford

Jr 1-2 Cycle
1 Nitro Nick Sommers
2 Cole Davis
3 Justin Yanez
4 Hunter Kelly
5 Gino Gigliotti
6 Danny Rubino
7 Jack VinQuilich
8 Cody Orrick
9 Alec Hudson
10 Scott Huffaker

HPV 2 Jr
1 Jr Raczko
2 Taylor Jacobs
3 Rachel Jean Brigg
4 Kathryn Cornell
5 AJ Juergens
6 Michela LaSpina
7 Brandon Tomko
8 Cole Trickel
9 Jacob Huff
10 Blake Murdock

Formula 80 Sr
1 Wayne Rolls
2 Jon Wozniak
3 Andrew Kemp
4 Curt Lopez
5 Ryan Wakabayashi
6 Josh Cole
7 Adam Booker

Formula 80 Masters
1 Steve Nagai
2 Tony Rodriguez
3 Greg Guting
4 Tony Brioso
5 Paul Cole
6 Darrel Dean 

Challenger
1 Michael Prinzo
2 Keevan McGarvey
3 Erica Winograd-Cohen
4 Jonah McGarvey

Super Sportsman Medium
1 Brett Felkins
2 Brian Gallagher
3 Ryan Casner
4 Scott Formanek
5 Geoff Nickless
6 John Paul Yettito
7 Larry Spain
8 Dianna Spain
9 Barb Nickless
10 Mike Estrella

Super Sportsman Light
1 Josh Veloz
2 Brian Hill
3 David Bixler
4 Matt Chase
5 Christian Brioso
6 Mike Hegland 

HPV 1 Jr
1 Nitro Nick Sommers
2 Hunter Kelly
3 Gino Gigliotti
4 Garrett Dixon
5 Michael Michoff
6 Cody Orrick
7 Jason Pettit
8 Danny Rubino
9 Roy Fulmer IV
10 Johannes Bachmann

Tag Sr
1 Ryan Rasberry
2 Chelsi Wagner
3 Shelby Sander
4 TJ Fischer
5 Alex Nizuk
6 Bronson Eggert
7 Troy Diede

HPV 3
1 Brett Felkins
2 Kyle Kerkoff
3 Eric Walker
4 Jamie Sander

125 Stock Moto
1 Wayne Rolls
2 Chris Yettito
3 Jamie Wilson
4 Ryen Miller
5 Josh Cole
6 Cody Diede
7 Ryan Raspberry 

Tag Masters
1 Paul Hohlbein
2 Randy Froom
3 Bob Hurst
4 Ray Zarick
5 Steve Stein
6 Chris Rossi
7 Bob Prinzo
8 Tom Shaw
9 Mike Ketterman
10 Corey Mitchell

 Jr Sportsman
1 JR Raczko
2 Ryan Sisemore
3 Jacob Huff

F200
1 Scott Smith
2 Randy Biffel

World Formula
1 Brad Wunder

Sr Clone 4 Cycle
1 Paul Landry II
2 Sean Winograd
3 Nathan Lavery
4 Simon Whitworth
5 Gary Morris
6 Neil Wakabayashi
7 Mike Dufloth
8 Rich Huston
9 Tom Jurach
10 Terry McGarvey

4-27-10 Cornell Gets Wins-Runs Strong at Pro Tour
Story & Photo By RaceMediaGroup.com

Kathryn Cornell has already put up stellar numbers in the beginning of 2010 with wins and podium finishes. At the Pro Tour Opener at Infineon Raceway of Sonoma, CA Cornell continued her progression into Cars with another top notch performance.

On day one of the two day event Cornell was fast out of the box running second quick in TAG Jr practice. In qualifying she had electrical problems placing her Intrepid 5th on the charts. Bad luck struck Kathryn in the Heat race as she was unable to make the start with continuing electrical problems. Coming from the back in the second heat electrical issues continued after she had quickly moved to fifth causing her to DNF and place her at the back of the field for the final, and some hard work to get to the front. In the final Kathryn Cornell made some daring passes to move through the pack. With only 15 laps however she ran out of time, but was still able to earn a fourth place finish.

Day 2 had a different outcome for Cornell. Suffering from some bad luck on Day one, Kathryn knew she had a kart capable of winning and wanted to show as much, however throughout the day she received new mechanical issues after resolving the ones from the day prior. The new Mechanical problems were failing water pumps. She was 2nd fastest in morning warm up. In qualifying Cornell put her Intrepid on top of the field with fast time, 2 tenths faster than the nearest Kart. In the Heat races Cornell gathered a couple of thirds to ensure a solid starting position for the Final. Kathryn ran steady in third position for most of the Final keeping her kart clean and in good position for the end of the race. As laps wound down, the second water pump failure began draining horsepower from her power plant.  However the two leaders got together and this allowed Cornell to cruise to her first National Win and the first of the Pro Tour Series.

Next for Kathryn is the Prairie City Crossover Rancho Cordova, Ca where she will compete in HPV 2 Jr against Norcal’s top HPV 2 drivers. Then following PC she will be back at Infineon Raceway Sonoma, Ca for the Prokart Challenge competing in both HPV-2 Jr and Tag Jr looking to do another sweep. Kathryn Cornell Motorsports is in partnership with Extreme Motorsports, Leading Edge Motorsports, and Race Media Group. Track support and Tuning Provided by Extreme Motorsports and Media development and racing Promotions Provided by RaceMediaGroup.com.

4-27-10 Bordogna Engines Still Dominating in Cadet Classes

Bordogna Racing Engines continues stellar domination in the Norcal region in all Series whether it’s Norcal IKF, Skusa’s Spring Nationals or the Club Crossovers. This Past Weekend was the Prairie City Crossover and Bordogna Powered motors showed consistently throughout the Race Day. In the Comer class Hunter Kelly put his Bordogna powered machine on top for qualifying followed by Nitro Nick Sommers, also powered by Bordogna. In the Pre Final, Hunter Kelly finished 1^st with Nitro Nick Sommers in tow. In the Final, Nitro Nick Sommers had his motor fine tuned and finished the race on top while Hunter Kelly finished 4^th and Cole Davis finishing in the 2^nd position. In HPV 1 Jr similar results occurred but Nitro Nick Summers was the driver to beat. Sommers qualified 1^st and finished 1^st in both the pre final and final. Hunter Kelly qualified 2^nd, finished 3^rd in the pre final and 2^nd in the final.

For the Dixon Cross Over both young drivers, Hunter Kelly and Nitro Nick Sommers Continued to show that Bordogna powered engines dominate the Jr Classes. With Kelly winning Jr 1-2 Cycle and Sommers finishing 2^nd. In the HPV 1 Jr Class Sommers finishing 2nd while Kelly finished 5^th.

At the Region 11 IKF Super Series Held at Stockton Motorplex Nitro Nick Sommers Dominated all weekend making him the driver to beat in both Jr 1-2 Cycle and HPV 1 Jr. Rain had troubled Sommers on the start of the main for Jr 1-2 cycle and finished 4^th. However, in HPV 1 Jr Sommers overcame the weather and led the race to a 14 second victory.

Bordogna was also present at Infineon for the New National series Spring Nationals hosted by Skusa. Driver Jonny Norris had a good weekend both days qualifying 6^th and finishing 3^rd and 4^th for the finals in Tag Jr. Norris was the only fastest driver who was using the old style Parilla Engine. In Tag Sr Stepanova Nekeel struggled all day in Day 1 but had overcome his problems and Finished 4^th in the final on Day 2.

Bordogna Racing Engines is inviting you to visit their race shop in the month of May and receive 10% off on New blue printed Engines for sale. Bordogna Racing Engines performs quality customer service and offers the best Engine tunning track support. For more info on Bordogna Racing Engines visit www.bordogna.us or contact Daniel at (916) 256-0385.

4-27-10 ProKart Challenge Nor Cal 2010 Championship Series Round 3 -- April 30 - May 1

Jim Russell Int'l Karting Center/Infineon

Round 3 of the ProKart Challenge Nor Cal 6-event kart racing series will be held THIS Saturday, May 1st, at the Jim Russell Int'l Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. A practice day will be held on Friday, April 30th, from 9am to 5pm, with a complimentary BBQ dinner directly following.

Complete details are available at www.superkartsusa.com, including an online store where you can pre-enter the event as well as purchase/renew your SKUSA membership, apply for your new racing license, purchase spec tires/fuel/oil, rent a transponder, order spectator pit passes, and more!

Event Entry: Pre-Entry Cut-off for this event is midnight this Wednesday, April 28th. Enter before the cutoff and save $35 on your entry fees -- PLUS save yourself from standing in long lines at registration when you could be prepping your kart! Enter the event and purchase everything else you need thru the online shopping kart with a credit card or call 951-491-0808. You can also download, fill out and fax your entry/order to 951-491-0809, or mail it in with a check. NOTE: If you do not receive an email confirmation of your entry within 24 hours of submitting it, please call the PKC office: 951-491-0808.

PKC Classes to be run at this event are: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 Jr, HVP-2 Jr, TaG Junior, TaG Senior, and TaG Master. See the website for the full 2010 class descriptions, as well as details about our new licensing program.

Other important Race Event Info:

Practice Day: Gates and Registration open on Friday, April 30th, at 7:00am. Fuel and tire desks will be open starting at 7:30am. Track is open from 9am - 5pm for OPEN practice ($60/driver -- No SKUSA membership required to practice). Friday night dinner: We are offering a complimentary BBQ dinner at the track directly following practice (for all who have paid for practice or a pit pass for the day). Bring your own drinks!

Race Day: Gates and Registration open on Saturday, May 1st at 6:30am, with tire and fuel desks open 7am - noon. Track is hot 8am-5pm, with podium awards and a raffle drawing immediately following the final tech inspection. Click here for a tentative event schedule. The final race day schedule will be given out at the track on Friday evening and Saturday morning. NOTE: There will only be 1 round of practice for the PKC groups on Saturday morning, as the day's schedule must accommodate the Jim Russell Arrive & Drive racers.

Track Configuration: The practice and race day for this event will be run in the SPRINT layout.

Championship Points: This year's PKC Nor Cal championship is based on 6 races, including a North vs. South Shootout, with NO drops! See the website for the full season's schedule of dates and track locations, the PKC/SKUSA points system, and the current points standings after Round 2.

Rules: See the PKC/SKUSA rulebook, as well as rules specific to this event, on the website.

Air Boxes & Mufflers: Air boxes are required for all moto engines -- up to three (3) 29mm +- 1 mm tubes. All moto motors must also have a 14-inch silencer.

SKUSA Membership: ProKart Challenge requires all racers to have a current SKUSA membership with their first race of the season. SKUSA also has new license levels that all drivers must register for. Purchase or renew your SKUSA membership thru the PKC online store, download and fax in your form, or sign up at the Registration desk on Friday or Saturday morning. Cost is $75/year, offers many great benefits, and is good for a full 12 months from date of purchase.

Race Numbers and Colored Number Panels: With your SKUSA membership, you will be assigned a race number (with a letter designating your region) that must appear on all 4 sides of your kart for all competition sessions -- for the season. PKC is also mandating specific number plate color combinations by class, starting with your first race of the season. Click here for more info. Call PKC at 951-491-0808 to reserve or check availability of your desired race number.

Overnight Camping & Trailer Parking: Is available at no charge, but will be available Friday night only, unless you have made special arrangements with the track (i.e., staying Saturday night for Sunday practice). Pit spots will be assigned by the Paddock Marshal. Some up- front spots may be reserved for large teams, kart shops or sponsors by calling PKC at 951-491-0808 prior to Wednesday, April 28th.

Host Hotel: If you are in need of a hotel room for this event, PKC has again made room block and special pricing arrangements with the EconoLodge in Novato, just 11 minutes from the track. Call them today and mention ProKart Challenge for 10% off their already low room rates: 415-883-2406.

10-Day Weather Forecast: Although it's predicted to rain over the next few days, the weekend looks to be beautiful! However, in case that changes, don't forget about our Tough Guy Rain Bonus points -- it could make the difference in the championship! Click here for those details.

Live & Post-Race Event Coverage: We will have live announcing of the on-track action over the PA system, as well as broadcasting of the MyLaps Monitor and micro-blogging of the sessions as racers come off the track at www.superkartsusa.com/live. After the event, a media release with this event's highlights will be posted on our website as well as distributed to the major karting publications, giving everyone the chance to become a local hero to their family and friends.

The next PKC So Cal race is at Streets of Willow in Rosamond, CA on May 14-15. Details can be found here.

Feel free to call ProKart Challenge for more information, assistance with your entry, or to check your race number availability for your SKUSA membership: 951-491-0808. The website also has up-to-the-minute race event info and special rules that apply to this event only. See www.superkartsusa.com.

Hope to see you at Infineon!

Tom & Patti Kutscher
 

4-24-10 Junior Karting World Championships Comes to Las Vegas, NV This Summer

Kids ages 5-12 will compete under the lights at the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway on August 18-21, 2010.

The buzz has been heard loud and clear.  The Junior Karting World Championships are coming to Sin City – Las Vegas, NV.   Kids ages 5-12 will be racing under the lights for their chance at becoming a Junior Karting World Champion this August.  

Karting is often seen as the starting ground for most motorsports.  The hottest drivers in the news, Kevin Harvick in NASCAR, Michael Schumacher in F1, Danica Patrick in IRL, and many others began their careers in karting.  Las Vegan native NASCAR Superstars, Kurt and Kyle Busch, now in NASCAR Sprint Cup, began their racing careers in karting. 

The Junior Karting World Championships intends to showcase the talents of the often overlooked kid karts and cadets.  These karters are the future of racing.

“Las Vegas is a logical destination for the Junior Karting World Championships as it is a favorite vacation location for families”, said Keith St. George, President of the Las Vegas Kart Club. 

As the summer wanes, kids and parents alike are getting ready to go back to school.  These events culminate the summer break and offers the best of the best kids in karting today.

For more information on the Junior Karting World Championships, go to www.jrkartingwc.com.

4-24-10 Gatorz Karting Cup to host season finale at Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix

There will be four classes of Gatorz Karting Cup competition at this year's Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.

The Gatorz Karting Cup, the largest and most prestigious Rotax Max Challenge in the United States, has announced that it will take part in the 2010 Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, scheduled for October 9-10 in Lancaster, Calif. The series will bring its Minimax, Junior Rotax, Rotax Senior, and Rotax Masters classes to the popular street race, which will now serve as the season finale of the 2010 Gatorz Karting Cup. The SLGP will also be the first time that the Gatorz Karting Cup competes on a temporary circuit.

More than just a kart race, the SLGP is the central piece of a city festival that includes a large car show and cruise, concerts, and vendors set in downtown Lancaster, with thousands of spectators taking part in the weekend’s activities during the mellow October weather. Rotax Senior and Rotax Masters classes were offered at the inaugural race last year.

“I am very excited to have the Gatorz Karting Cup be a part of the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix,” said Andy Seesemann, owner of the Gatorz Karting Cup – and defending champion of the Rotax Masters class at the SLGP. “I attended and competed in last year’s event, along with several of my customers, and we had a great time so when the opportunity came for the Gatorz Karting Cup to be a part of the weekend, I jumped at the chance.”

“The races put on by the Gatorz Karting Cup are always exciting and will be a real crowd pleaser at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix,” said Taylor Jocelyn of the Tri-C Karting Club, which organizes the SLGP. “Our Rotax classes last season were some of the best ones of the weekend. I can’t wait to see four classes of Rotax karts battling on the Streets of Lancaster in October. We are glad to have the Gatorz Cup season concluding at the Street event. The classes will be exciting and aren’t to be missed.”

As a result of the schedule change, the previously scheduled September 18-19 race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park will not be held, and the MicroMax and DD-2 classes will end their season at the August 28-29 race, which will be held at the Calspeed Karting Center.

Both the Gatorz Karting Cup and the SLGP will release information about registration and event scheduling in the coming months.
 

4-24-10 ProKart Cahllenge North Returns to Sonoma for Round 3

Series returns to action after a month leave with regional titles to heat up

There is no rest for the Superkarts! USA staff as they wrap up the closing details from the recent SKUSA SpringNationals, and the focus now turns towards the ProKart Challenge North. The program will return to action on April 30-May 1 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, competing on the Sprint course. The Sonoma, California circuit saw a number of PKC North competitors walk away with hardware and cash from the national series debut with many set to return to continue their chase at regional titles. Perhaps also a number of newcomers will jump in, riding off of the excitement of the SKUSA Pro Tour event.

The headline S1 Pro Stock Moto category at the recent SKUSA SpringNationals was full of PKC North regulars. Point leader Fritz Leesmann scored the inaugural victory on day one of competition, matching that with a runner-up finish the following day to earn a $1,000 check for his efforts. Turning his focus back on the regional fight, Leesmann has two-time podium finishers Tommy Thompson and Brett Buckwalter chasing him, along with round two winner Nic LeDuc. Another NorCal star bested the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto field at the SKUSA Pro Tour opener. PKC North point leader Matt Alcorn swept the action on the weekend, scoring two main event victories. Alcorn currently leads Jared Woolf and Cameron Pringle in the PKC North title chase.

Jeff Smith certainly has produced some solid results in the last three months. The S4 Masters Stock Moto point leader swept the action in the series first two rounds and pulled nearly the same feat at the SKUSA SpringNationals with two more victories. Smith will look to continue the momentum to retain his point lead over Alex Keith and Brad Shaffer. Ethan Wilson is another NorCal star to record two victories at the SKUSA Pro Tour opener. Wilson bested the TaG Master field both days, beating the same two drivers chasing him in the PKC North point standings Jeff Deehan and Craig Corwin. With his consistency in the first two rounds, David Harwin currently holds the lead in the PKC point standings for the competitive TaG Senior category. With the uncertainty of the group, consistency could play into the hands of those looking to be crowned champion at the end of the year. No doubt Harwin will battle for victory as he did at the SKUSA SpringNationals, along with championship contenders Larry Fraser and Devin Lindsey.

Niki Luna will be putting the SKUSA Pro Tour opener behind him quickly, as the weekend was a tough one for the current PKC North TaG Junior point leader. He will look to bounce back in round three of the regional series, with Deven Sanchez and Kathryn Cornell giving chase. Cornell has been perfect in the HPV-2 Junior category in the region, and is coming off a huge win in the TaG Junior category at the recent national event. She will look to continue her perfect score in round three, with Jack Freese and Jonny Norris looking to upset her streak. Fresh off his first national victory on Saturday of the SKUSA Pro Tour, Daniel Langon will look to extend his S5 Junior Stock Moto point lead in round three. The S3 Novice Stock Moto category is still looking to grow throughout the year, as the class continues its inaugural season at the regional level. Chris Yettito holds the top spot in the championship chase with David Gwin, Matt Chase and Kassy Loving in the mix.

The third round of the six-race PKC North championship series will begin on April 30 for a practice day, with the track hot from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Following will be a complimentary BBQ dinner at the track, courtesy of an anonymous PKC sponsor and PKC friend Scott Jeffery who will be cooking it up at the grill. Race pre-registrations are currently being accepted, with racers able to save $35 on their entry fee by submitting an entry prior to midnight on Wednesday, April 28. SKUSA memberships and specific color number plates will be mandatory for the event; all event information, downloadable forms and online registration are available on the new www.superkartsusa.com website. No reserved pit spots are required for this event. Camping and overnight parking of trailers on site will be permitted, starting Friday night at no charge. The EconoLodge in Novato (415.883.2406) is offering special pricing on rooms when mentioning ProKart Challenge at booking.

A live scoring feed as well as blogging will be available Saturday during the racing action. For more information on round three including the tentative race day schedule or anything related to SKUSA and the ProKart Challenge, visit www.superkartsusa.com or call the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

4-24-10 Team Aluminos Soars at Skusa Pro Tour Spring Nationals

Smith doubles up at Infineon while Leesmann and Diaz each score wins for Aluminos

It was a successful start to the Superkarts! USA North American Pro Tour for the Team Aluminos squad. The inaugural SKUSA SpringNationals took place at the Jim Russell International Karting Center over the April 16-18 weekend on the Sonoma, California facility. Exceptional weather shined down on the 3/4-mile circuit throughout the three days of on-track action and the Aluminos squad produced some brilliant results in the process. Jeff Smith scored a near weekend sweep in the S4 category, leaving with two victories and the lead in the championship chase. Fritz Leesmann scored a first and second in the headline S1 category to also lead in the point standings while Fernando Diaz was lightning fast in G1, securing victory in Saturdays feature race.

Smith entered the SpringNationals as a favorite in the Masters Stock Moto category. Aboard his Aluminos prepared CRG machine, Smith showed why in Fridays practice with scorching lap times to put him at the top of the leader board. Posting an even faster lap in Saturdays morning qualifying session, Smith was shockingly edged out by a slim 0.020-second for the pole position. Putting that behind him, Smith would go on to dominate the heat races with two-second margin of victories in each. Untouchable and leading all 20 laps, Smith recorded the victory in the main event by six-seconds. The following day, Smith and the Aluminos squad made the necessary changes to insure he scored maximum points by securing the pole position by over four-tenths. Though challenged, Smith came away with both heat wins once again to start the main event on the pole. A tad slow off the line, Smith slotted into second on the opening lap of the feature. Quickly reassuming his position at the front, Smith checked out to lead the final 19 laps and score win number two on the weekend.

Leesmann looked primed to duplicate Smiths feat after the stomping he put down in Saturdays Pro Stock Moto action. A driver coach and mechanic for Team Aluminos, Leesmann demonstrated his teaching styles with top honors in qualifying while leading all the laps of the two heats and feature race for an unchallenged victory on the opening day of racing. The next day Leesmann was greeted by a number of challengers. Just edged out of the pole position in qualifying, Leesmann lined up and held onto second following an exciting first heat race. The second heat race went uneventful as Leesmann was able to escape quickly with the lead and the win. An uncharacteristic slow start to begin the main event, Leesmann found himself back in third after the first lap. By lap eight, Leesmann was once again out front and showing the way until the final lap. A bold move by the competitor in third saw in lunge inside of second place and Fritz into turn three. Leaving some room to avoid contact, Leesmann lost the lead. Quick to recover, he was on the leaders bumper as the entered the final few corners. Unable to complete a move, Leesmann had to settle for second. The wise move helped the NorCal star to score the most points on the weekend, taking home $1,000 in cash and the top of the championship standings.

Diaz was the third Aluminos driver to score a victory at the SKUSA SpringNationals. The G1 (Masters Open Shifter) standout was just that throughout the weekend in Sonoma. Diaz edged out the competition for the fastest lap in qualifying on day one. Challenged in the heat races, Diaz would come away with both victories. After some early pressure to begin the 20-lap main event, Diazs Aluminos-prepped GP kart came on at the right time to break away from the field to score the victory by a margin of seven-seconds. The next day seemed to be a duplicate of the previous one. After scoring top honors in qualifying once again, Diaz drove strong to both heat wins and the pole for the feature. Following some exchanges for the lead, Diaz secured the lead on lap six and began to drive away to an apparent victory. Leading by over five seconds his engine had other ideas as it gave up and expired on lap 17. Spinning off course, Diaz would unfortunately finish watching the last three laps from the sidelines. Despite the unhappy end to the weekend, Diaz as positioned himself as a favorite for the SKUSA Pro Tour championship and will look to return to the top of the podium at the next event.

Aside from Smith, the S4 category was loaded with Team Aluminos drivers. Peter Workum was quick all weekend, coming from 17th to fifth in Saturdays feature while improving one spot better to fourth on Sunday. Jonathon Allen certainly had his best weekend of the year, showing impressive speed while recording finishes of eighth and seventh. Phil Dunford was quick as well but suffered some tough racing luck. Battling inside the top-five Saturday, Dunford spun around in turn one, ending his race. Before completing a lap in the main event, Dunford lost the drive chain leaving him stranded on the starting line. With the positive attitude he carries, he will be back again to challenge up front. Colorado driver Mike McDonough returned with Aluminos after his first event with the group last month. Improving each time on track, McDonough recorded a 10th place finish both days against a strong 20-kart field. Todd Wilson continues to learn under the guidance of Team Aluminos however the results did not bode well in his favor with two early retirements in the feature races.

Alongside Leesmann in the S1 division were Brad Dunford and Canadian Don McGregor. Dunford, much like his father in the S4 group, fell on some hard luck on the weekend. Making up ground from a DNF in the second heat on day one, Dunford was caught up in a wreck in front of him when two competitors arguing over the same piece of track spun each other out, leaving Dunford no where to go and ending his day early. Sundays main event, Dunford showed he had the pace by running times just a few tenths off the leaders, finishing 10th. McGregor made his first race with the Team Aluminos squad, improving each session out adjusting from his normal ICC powerplant to the Stock Moto package. McGregor was 10th and 11th on the weekend. David Conyers joined Diaz in the G1 class and the Colorado driver enjoyed every minute of the weekend. Coming back to national level racing, Conyers recorded finishes of eighth and ninth.

Team Aluminos will be back to work in just a short time as the third round of the ProKart Challenge North program returns to action at the Infineon Raceway facility on April 30-May 1. The Northern California based-operation is already putting in the planning for the SKUSA SummerNationals, set for July 16-18 at the challenging USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI.

 

4-22-10 NNKC Opener Race Recap

NNKC’s first championship point’s race was this last Sunday April 18^th.  The day began and ended with clear skies and 73-degree weather for some great racing action.  58 karts came out to kick off the season.  The racing was very close in all the classes.  By the looks of the turnout we had (which we were missing about 6 drivers), this could be a BIG season for NNKC. 

Unfortunately, the transponder system was not working early on so there are no qualifying times; as we used the pea pick system.  The timing system is now fine and will be running for our May 23^rd race.   The club apologizes for this inconvenience.  MyLaps will be posted however, for all sessions starting after the first heats.

Starting out the day in the Formula 125’s were Mitch Kennedy, Rich Adams and Chris McCabe.  All 3 karts were lightning fast around the ½ mile configuration.  Kennedy would end up winning, posting a fast time in the main event of 35.921 followed by Adams and McCabe.

11 Box Stock Clones came out to race.  We were missing about 3 drivers from this class.  The racing was very good with Becky Knapp winning the first heat by a substantial margin.  The main event saw Terry West take the lead and was chased by the only Jr Clone of Logan Wyman.  Those 2 drivers pulled away to a 15 second lead over the next pack of Alex Buck, Knapp and Dave Schilt.  A couple former members of the club appeared in this showdown as Mark Hain and Guy Pritchard put together a clone and joined this group.  But in the end, it was West taking the honors followed by Buck in 2^nd and Knapp in 3^rd.  Good job to all the Clone drivers for a great day of racing.  Let’s see if we can get this class to 15 participants!!!

Jr 1-2 Cycle was next up on the grid.  5 drivers came out for this one.  We were missing 2 regular drivers and we will have 1 new driver possibly for the next race with Mike Botelho’s nephew joining the group.  Garrett Dixon and Jeremy Kay started off where they left off last year, duking it out in a tightly contested battle.  Connor Van Cott, Isaac Wyett and Richard Stock quietly had their battle throughout the day as these kids are determined to pick up more and more speed throughout the course of the year.  Heat 1 saw Dixon take the checkers followed by Kay.  Heat 2 saw the group get into a big pile up in turn 1-2 at the start, that caused lots of damage to the #11 kart of Kay and the #08x kart of Wyett.  Neither were the cause of the accident, they just were unlucky participants of it.  After the restart, Dixon would drive away and grab another win.  Heavy repair and wrenching was being done in the Kay pits to get that kart ready and also in the Wyett pit.  The main event was next with all karts making their way onto the track.  As the green dropped, Dixon would take the holeshot followed by Kay, Stock, Van Cott and Wyett.  Dixon and Kay would start to pull away and the end result was Dixon grabbing 1^st place followed by Kay in 2^nd, Van Cott in 3^rd, Wyett in 4^th and Stock having mechanical failure 2 laps from the end, to claim 5^th.

TaG Masters came out to race with 9 entries.  Hopefully next race we will have another couple drivers who couldn’t make this event.  The 1^st heat saw reigning TaG Master champion Dan Harris lose a front bumper and pull off the track due to contact with the #15 kart of Chris McCabe.  Lasts years TaG Senior champion Curt Baker would start 5^th and power himself up to the P1 spot by lap 4.  Former Champ Brian Rivera would start 9^th and navigate through the field and finish behind Baker for 2^nd.  New comers to the class are former member Eric Westenburg and new member John Morgan.   Returning drivers Troy Berry and Derrick DeLong looked fast as well.  The second heat would see Rivera, Baker and Harris finish in that order, respectively.  That brought out the main event with Baker drawing pole over Rivera.  As the green dropped, the two would go into turn 1-2 side by side with Baker taking the quick lead.  Rivera followed in tow.  Rivera would eventually have a date with the inside cone at turn 9 that would spoil his day and cause mechanical failure to his kart.  Baker got out to a big lead with Harris trying frantically to catch up.  Berry stayed in 3^rd followed by McCabe in 4^th.  Harris would catch up to Baker in the end but ran out of laps doing so.  Baker would take the first win of the year followed by Harris, Berry and McCabe. 

Formula 80 Senior rolled out onto the track with 7 drivers coming out for this race.  These drivers were all in the 37-second range throughout the day.  Mark Nason would show brute strength as he made his way around the track to claim the first heat win over former member Kevin Tanaka.  The second heat would see a switch between the two, as Tanaka would beat Nason to the line.  Mike Botelho had a great day as well getting back into a shifter.  As the main unfolded, there was a pile up in turn 3 sending Cody McKinney flying over Ben Fisher.  Gerry Williams was the unlucky beneficiary of McKinney’s kart as Williams took a vicious hit to the back knocking him breathless.  Williams sat in the kart motionless as a red flag was waived.  Williams ended up being ok but with damage to his air box and pipe.  On the re-start, Nason would take the lead followed closely by Tanaka and Botelho.    The 3 would pull away from the rest of the pack of Ben Fisher and Randy Hannon.  That’s how they would finish: Nason P1, Tanaka P2 and Botelho P3.

TaG Novice came to the plate with 7 drivers taking part in this race.  It looked from the start to be a great day for newcomer Sean Doyle.  He was dominant from the start winning the first two heats in commanding fashion.  Javier Avila, Jim Foff, Don Faris and Tom Koerner, all holdovers from last’s year TaG Novice race, did a great job keeping pace throughout the day and learning the nuances of racing with a big pack.  This group is going to be great all year.  But the main event saw Doyle get into a little trouble at turn 5, leaving the door open for Matt Koerner who had quietly had a great day in his kart.  Koerner would pull to a 20 second lead over Avila as only 3 karts were left on the lead lap.  Koerner will take the X off his kart next round and vie for another win come May 23^rd.

12 drivers came out for the Formula 80 Masters class.  Former racers like Latimer, Dow, Holtz and Schilt came to play in the sun on this sunny Sunday afternoon.  In the top spots were a fast group of Kevin Tanaka, Gerry Williams, Mark Nason, Cody McKinney and Mike Botelho.  These guys would punish the track all day long, slapping gears on every corner.  The first heat saw Tanaka take the win in easy fashion while Nason would overheat.  The second heat also saw Tanaka finish in the P1 followed by Williams and Botelho.  With the main event next, Tanaka would take the hole shot, followed by Williams and Nason.  Darrel Dean, who previously just lost 2 karts in a burglary, was back out at the track in an 80 shifter put together by him and Thore Duhn.  Steve Dow also came back out to shift some gears with the boys.  But in the end, it was Tanaka taking the win followed by Williams in 2^nd and Nason in 3^rd.  The 80 Masters class looks to be a tough one all year long!

Kid Karts were the last karts on the track for the day.  3 kids came out for this race.  Gavin Van Cott, Nolan Wyman and Greg Kennedy hauled around the facility in quick fashion setting down some very good times.  These kids seem to get it, race clean, and stay out of trouble on the track.  It’s going to be a very good year for them as they try to better themselves for their upcoming Jr 1 careers.

It going to be a great year for you, the racer, and the Northern Nevada Kart Club in 2010.  We’re thankful to all that showed up and raced.  That’s what the club was founded for: racing, excitement and family fun.  Round 2 is May 23^rd Track 5.  See you then!

R.L.V. Tuned Exhaust Products, Inc.
2351 Thompson Way Bldg A
Santa Maria, Ca 93455
(805) 925-5461 Fax 922-3321

10-04
13 April 2010

To: R.L.V. Distributors
From: Art Varlengiere
Subject: Pipe Recall

All R.L.V. Distributors

RLV PIPE RECALL
RLV-1 (P/N 7401), RLV-2 (P/N 7402) and RLV-3 (P/N 7403)

All three pipes are subject to end cap failure. The end cap may crack around the outer edge and leak after use. This Leak results in a pipe that will fail a technical inspection.

This failure is new and is a result of the "Law of Unintended Consequences." For the past ten years in this application the end cap was screwed on to the pipe and experienced no failures. 2010 RLV was mandated to fully weld the end cap to the pipe climinating relief points at each screw location on the end cap and results in a pulsing end cap which fatigues the material. We have determined manufacturing the end cap from a heavier gauge material would be the best solution.

Following are the pipes being recalled:

1. RLV-1 (P/N 7401) purchased prior to February 20, 2010
2. RLV-2 (P/N 7402) Purchased prior to March 15, 2010
3. RLV-3 (P/N 7403) Purchased prior to March 15, 2010

If your pipe was purchased prior to the above dates, please contact RLV for instructions on updating your pipe. This offer expires June 18, 2010.

Respectfully,

Art Verlengiere

4-21-10 Extreme Motorsports and Kathryn Cornell Score Big Win at Spring Nationals!

The return of the SKUSA Pro Tour, and the first ever Spring Nationals, was sure to bring in several contenders from across the United States! Extreme Motorsports would head to Sonoma, CA with one of Nor-Cal’s top ranked junior drivers, Kathryn Cornell, along with returning SKUSA Pro Moto Tour Champion Bryan Eady. The Extreme Motorsports team was also proud to announce the addition to their S5 program, Scott Phillips.

With two days of action on the schedule in Tag Jr., Kathryn Cornell would qualify in the 5th spot the first day of competition. Having electrical issues in both heat races, Cornell would be forced to start the main event from eleventh. The Extreme Motorsports powered Intrepid would be on a roll, as Cornell would come from dead last, to finish fourth in the twenty lap feature.

Day two of the Spring Nationals would show Kathryn Cornell aboard her Extreme Motorsports powered Intrepid on top of the qualifying charts with a 51.193; the fastest Tag Jr. time of the weekend! Cornell would post two third place finishes in her heat races to find herself lined up third for the main event. With a broken water pump on lap number four, a disappointing finish looked to be in the near feature. However, with an overheating engine, Cornell would use her determination, and continue to turn fast laps. Remaining within a few tenths of the top two, Cornell would wait for last lap contact and take over the top spot. Cornell would go on to win her first ever Pro Tour victory!

Extreme Motorsports was proud to have the addition of S5 Junior driver Scott Phillips, under the tent this past weekend. Phillips, from Phoenix, Arizona, was quick all weekend aboard his Extreme Motorsports tuned Ital Kart. In what would be his first trip to Infinion Raceway, Phillips would quickly adapt to the track and environment; as he would post a fourth place finish on day one, running lap times comparable to the top three. Day two would once again see Phillips a part of the four kart battle for the win. With the front group swapping positions several times, Phillips would finish another solid fourth.

Team tuner / coach Bryan Eady would pull double duty at the opening round of the SKUSA Pro Tour, as he would find himself both wrenching and racing. With no test laps aboard his new Extreme Motorsports powered CRG, Eady showed he had speed out of the box. Day one would see the Extreme Motorsports pilot running fourth only to have heavy contact in turn one, force him to retire with a bent chassis.

After driving all night to pick up a borrowed chassis, Eady and the Extreme Motorsports crew would head to the track with no sleep and prep a new kart. Qualifying would see the Extreme Motorsports driver go P8, only one tenth out of the top three. While running third in heat number one Eady would be taken out, and go on to finish tenth. With a huge launch off the line, Eady would find himself sitting P2 after heat number two. Starting from the outside of row number one, Eady would once again get the hole-shot and lead lap number one. However, a miss calculation on air pressure would see the Extreme Motorsports pilot slowly drop back to the eighth spot. Furthermore, just past halfway Eady would make his comeback, turning some of the fastest laps of the race. Eady would find his Extreme CRG in the fifth spot by the end of the main.

Extreme Motorsports would like to thank SKUSA and their staff for putting on an awesome weekend of racing. We would also like to thank our customers for a weekend full of fun times and good memories. We look forward to seeing everyone at Round number two for the Summer Nationals. To find out how you can become a part of Extreme Motorsports feel free to contact Steve Eady at (530)-949-8975, or email us at infor@extremegokarts.com . Visit our website today for all your karting needs at www.extremegokarts.com .

 

4-21-10 Chris Wehrheim Prepares for TDI Cup Opener

Current #2 ranked karter to compete in VW Jetta TDI Cup

Chris Wehrheim has announced that he will compete in the 2010 VW Jetta TDI Cup.  The 24 year old driver from Norcross, GA will start the season off at Virginia International Raceway this weekend, a track he is no stranger to.

Chris is also not a stranger to success at VIR.  In 2005 he debuted in his first car race in the Skip Barber Regional series there and took victory.  Chris returned to VIR a year later to compete in the Skip Barber National Championship winning pole position in both races and won race one with a margin of 15 seconds. The remainder of the TDI Cup season will be all new tracks for him, but Chris is hoping to utilize his experience to learn them quickly.

Chris will also be competing in select karting events in North America and Europe this year in between coaching and tuning for Raquel Martinez.  As he has for the past four years, Chris will be racing for Top Kart and Grand Products again.  While in North America he will focus on TaG and Rotax, and while in Europe Chris is looking to compete in the KZ category. 

“I am looking forward to competing in my first full season of car racing this year,” commented Wehrheim.  “I have had a lot of success in the past with multiple wins and pole positions in Skip Barber, but have yet to run a full season in any car series.  The competition will be very tough this year in the TDI Cup, but I am confident that I can produce the results to put together a championship effort.”

Chris would like to thank King Taco, Grand Products, Alpinestars, Top Kart, Comer, Bridgestone, and P1 Engines for all of their support. 
By Rising Star

4-21-10 Runyan Leads all 40 Laps to Win Western Focuses at Stockton

Bobby Runyan, Jr. won his first career USAC Ford Focus Midget Series feature event on Saturday night, winning the combination USAC Western Pavement and NorCal division main at Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, Calif.

Runyan, the 17 year-old Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle development driver, came into the event with a pair of second place finishes and a fifth place finish through his first three career USAC starts.

The 2009 SCCA Formula Ford Regional Champion led the second practice session on Saturday afternoon and qualified third fastest with at time of 13.745 seconds on the quarter-mile asphalt oval.

Runyan used the trophy dash to further dial in his Raging Bull Motorsports sponsored Ford Focus Midget, finishing third.

With over 60 of his friends and family in attendance for Runyan’s first Northern California start of the season, from the outside front row, Runyan jumped to the lead into turn one for the feature.

The 40 lap event went caution-free from start to finish, meaning Runyan once again had to deal with heavy lapped traffic like he had at Vegas.

Traffic allowed second place to close in and even get up to the side of Runyan, but the rookie showed his continued development by staying calm and continuing to lead. A late charge by second place with two laps to go fell short, and Runyan took the flag to flag victory.

Leading all 40 laps was a huge accomplishment considering he was only running his fourth career USAC race. He also made a huge impression on his many supporters in the grandstands.

“It is only fitting that on Bobby’s best drive so far this year that he gets the victory in front of family and friends,” Driver Coach Ron Sutton said. “He handled the traffic and pressure perfectly and really earned his spot in victory lane.”

The win gives Runyan a 30 point lead in the USAC Western Pavement Ford Focus Series and also gives him the championship points lead in both the NorCal and SoCal Focus Midget Regional series.

His next race will be May 1 when he will look to make it two in a row at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Bobby Runyan Racing and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: Raging Bull Motorsports, Inventory Sales Company, Sparco, K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels and Star Racing Supply.

Race fans can learn more about Bobby Runyan, Jr. Racing at his brand-new website at www.bobbyrunyan.com

For more information on Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle, log on to www.winners-circle-racing.com 

 

4-20-10 Super Karts! USA Inaugural Spring Nationals a Huge Success
Photos by OTP

Beautiful weather and exciting last lap passes highlight big launch weekend

The Superkarts! USA brass couldn’t have asked for a better launch to their new Pro Tour in Sonoma, CA this past weekend, as their inaugural SpringNationals drew over 100 racers to the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. The racing was insanely good, running the popular circuit in the reverse national layout, and this elevated competition helped develop a great buzz throughout the paddock. Veterans were all talking about how this new series is bringing back the excitement of the famed ProMoto Tour of the late 90s and early 00s. In the headline classes, Fritz Leesmann and Clinton Schoombee split the S1 wins in thrilling fashion, while veteran karter and former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Phil Giebler followed suit in his sweep of the TaG Senior events.

The action in the headline Pro classes was nothing less than incredible, featuring hardcore racing and some impressive come-from-the-back drives by the best in the sport, all shod on MG tires. Aluminos’ Fritz Leesmann dropped the gauntlet on his charge for the S1 national title right out of the box, sweeping Saturday’s action with the pole, two heat race wins and the main event victory. Select Shifter’s Clinton Schoombee and STA Racing’s Jason Toft would fight it out for second, and both drivers would be ready to step up on Sunday. In the second main of the weekend, Leesmann would set the early pace, but Schoombee matched his speed this time out, eventually taking the lead midway through the 20-lapper. After Leesmann took back the point, Toft completed his drive from dead-last – following a heat race DNF – by passing Schoombee for second on the final lap. Schoombee would not be denied, however, passing both Toft and Leesmann under braking into the left-hand turn three, much to the crowd’s delight. The CRG driver would hold back his challengers for the remainder of the lap to score a very popular triumph. In the overall weekend points, Leesmann would earn the victory and the $1000 first place prize.

While the main events wins were split in S1, the S2 and S4 classes were swept by their respective leaders. Infinity Motorsports’ Matt Alcorn bagged a pair of wins in the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto category, running away from the pack on Saturday before having to lay it all out for the win on Sunday. The ProKart Challenge North regular distanced himself from Cameron Karting’s Neil Joseph and Cameron Pringle to take the victory. On Sunday, the rise of Central States Challenge drivers Lukas Johnson and Derek Crockettmade things more interesting, as both pilots took turns up front. Past the halfway point, Johnson looked to have control of the race before an electrical issue put the talented S5 graduate on the sidelines. Alcorn would take over the lead, which he held until the checker. Crockett would finish up second ahead of Pringle in the final tally.

In similar fashion to Alcorn’s sweep in S2, Aluminos’ Jeff Smith was the man to beat all weekend in S4 Stock Motor. Although he was challenged in qualifying and occasionally nipped off the start line, Smith’s trademark consistency vaulted him back to the lead in every session, as he was never beaten to the checker. On Saturday, Smith won over Ray Zanotto and Phil Conte, while on Sunday, Conte matched his podium performance as he pressured Jim Inglebright for second throughout the entire race. The S4 class was the largest of the weekend and continues as one of SKUSA’s primary growth areas.

The TaG Senior main event on Saturday was one of those performances that you just won’t forget. After encountering a mechanical issue in the final heat race, Phil Giebler started dead last in a 20-kart field and proceeded to knife his way into second with just six laps remaining. Over the final circuits, Giebler reeled in leader Gregory Liefooghe and eventually made a strong move to take the point and the dynamic victory. Liefooghe would finish a strong second ahead of Troy Deide. On Sunday, Giebler would steer clear of any issues to start on the pole for the main, running away to a two-second win over Gustavo Menezes and Position One’s Bobby Kelley. In TaG Master, Ethan Wilson scored both wins to take the overall point lead.

In the TaG Junior category, Luis Tyrrell and Kathryn Cornell each scored victories to kick off their national championship chase. Tyrrell was the powerhouse in the class, stretching out ahead of Emmanuel Mestre on Saturday to begin his Pro Tour season with a victory. Jonny Norris stood on the final rung of the podium. On Sunday, Tyrrell and Mestre fought it out again, this time waging war until the final lap, when they made contact that allowed Cornell to slip through for the win. Tyrrell would recover to finish second ahead of Austin Dement. The new TaG Cadet class made its debut with an amazing set of main events. Noah Grey kicked things off with a big win on Saturday, chased all race by Colton Herta and Tate Holleran. In the second race, Parker Thompson tried to run away for the win, but he was chased down by Herta, who made a spectacular move during the final lap to take over the top spot. Thompson went for the win in the final corner, but he and Herta pushed wide which allowed Holleran to duck back under for the drag-race to the line. As the lead duo came back to the left, they collected Holleran, who was pushed sideways, winning the race totally perpendicular to the finish line. In a wild turn of events, Grey also slipped through to take second, giving him the overall win and the prize of a new Vortex MiniRok engine package. Thompson would end up third while Herta had to settle for fourth after an amazing late-race drive.

NorCal pilot Daniel Langon topped the S5 Junior Stock Moto class on Saturday, but a mechanical issue put him on the sidelines during the Sunday warm-up lap. In the absence, Colorado driver Christian Schureman raised his game to battle for the victory with Alex Tartaglia and Austin Schimmel. Schureman would come out on top of a race-long battle to score his first Pro Tour win.

The SKUSA Pro Tour will continue on the July 16-18 weekend in Shawano, WI at the beautiful USA International Raceway. SKUSA officials are currently working to develop travel options for drivers who wish to attending the SummerNationals. Anyone interested in event or class sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

4-18-10 Skusa Spring Nationals Underway at Infineon Raceway

Opening round for new SKUSA Pro Tour completes day one in Sonoma, California

A new era for Superkarts! USA began on Friday with a rebirth of national level racing for the organization. The new SKUSA Pro Tour is making its debut this weekend with the running of the inaugural SpringNationals, held at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. The Sonoma, California circuit has hosted a number of major events in its history, including a number of national events from in the previous era of the sanctioning body.

The weather was perfect for on-track activities with clear skies and warm temperatures. Drivers grew accustomed to the 3/4-mile course, which is being run in the reverse national configuration, a layout that many have never seen. Judging by the practice laps run on Friday, a number of key corners around the course will provide optimal passing opportunities. Following the on-track action of the day, Superkarts! USA hosted a tri-tip BBQ dinner with beverages being provided of J3 Competition. Media leaders eKartingNews.com were also on-hand, streaming a live audio wrap-up show that also played via PA to the racers as they enjoyed their meal.

On the line for the headline categories will be weekend purse of $1,750 in cash for both S1 (Pro Stock Moto) and TaG Senior. Drivers will be gunning for victories, but also for the season championship that features a point fund of $8,000 with $5,000 going to the champ. For all of the classes competing on the SKUSA Pro Tour, the top-five in the standings heading into the finale - the SKUSA SuperNationals XIV in Las Vegas will have guaranteed starting positions for the main events, which is huge considering the fact that only 40 drivers can start the finals. The champions who will be crowned following the November event will earn the National Number One Plate as well as special sponsorship for the 2011 season.

The headline S1 category was close for fast lap in the final session of the day. Tommy Thompson (Energy), Daniel Bray (GP), Brett Felkins (Intrepid) and Brett Buckwalter (Italkart) were within seven-hundredths of a second for their fast lap in the last run. Certainly the hometown region drivers - aside from New Zealander Bray - have a slight advantage though the rest of the field is sure to catch up once action begins Saturday morning. The Energy chassis is rolling as well in S2 with Matt Alcorn at the top of the order in Fridays sessions along with Neil Joseph (Italkart) and Cameron Pringle (GP). S4 is the largest shifter class of the weekend boasting 19 drivers, led by defending ProKart Challenge champion Jeff Smith (CRG). The rest of the field is a tight bunch with Aluminos teammate Peter Workum (GP) and Energy driver Alex Keith besting in the top-three at the end of the day. Fernando Diaz (GP) has put himself as the favorite heading into Saturday with his fast laps in Friday practice. Sergio Machado was a late entry and is piloting the Vemme chassis near the front along with SKUSA SuperNationals XIII runner-up Kelly Baker (Italkart). Though numbers are small in the S5 Junior Stock Moto category, the competition is tough. Daniel Langon (GP) posted the fast lap in the final session however Alex Tartaglia (Intrepid), Austin Schimmel (GP) and Christian Schureman (GP) are right there.

TaG Senior saw some familiar names at the top in the final two sessions. Phil Giebler (FA Kart), a winner at the last ProKart Challenge North race at this facility, was the only driver to dip below the 50-second mark on the day. SKUSA SuperNationals podium finisher Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart) was at the top of the charts in the second to last session but was bettered by Giebler in the final run. David Harwin (Tony Kart), JP Cadoux (Energy) and last-minute entry Gregory Liefooghe (CRG) were close on their heels. In TaG Masters, Craig Corwin (MBA) and Ethan Wilson (Tony Kart) are at the top of the time sheets. Luis Tyrrell (Wild Kart) currently has the TaG Junior field covered with some solid fast laps in practice. Emmanuel Mestre (Tony Kart) and Austin Dement (Top Kart) currently are the strongest challengers. The new TaG Cadet division saw all drivers receive their Vortex engines this morning and thus spent the day growing accustom to the new engine package. Parker Thompson was quickest in the final session on his Tony Kart with Colton Herta (BA-1) and Brendan Baker (Nevoso) right there. There is no doubt this class will be your typical drafting exhibition by the young pilots.
 

4-18-10 Raquel Martinez WSK North America Report

“Martinez scores three top five finishes”

Two weeks after a successful end to the Gatorz Championship, Raquel Martinez and Martinez Racing headed east for the first time in 2010 for the opening round of the WSK North America series at New Castle Motorsports Park.  Raquel returned to compete in TaG Jr. and made her debut in KF3 preparing for her European debut.

Saturday started off just as 2009 ended with Raquel at the front of the grid.  Raquel qualified in the 3rd position in TaG Jr.  KF3 did not go as well with Raquel having mechanical issues winding up 8^th.  In the TaG prefinal Raquel battled in the lead group eventually holding onto 3^rd.  The KF3 prefinal showed much better for her racing up to the second position.  After making changes for the TaG final, Raquel moved her Top Kart Flash into the lead at the halfway mark.  One lap later she was forced off the track and fell to 6^th eventually working her way back to the 4^th position.  Raquel’s KF3 debut continued to be a success with her finishing 2^nd.

Sunday was full of its ups and downs for Raquel. In TaG Jr. qualifying she fell into 12^th position after the kart experienced carburetor issues, but qualified in 4^th during the KF3 session. Raquel came back in the TaG prefinal with her kart issues fixed and finished in 3rd position.  She then went on to acquire a 3^rd place position for the KF3 prefinal as well. Raquel secured a 3^rd place finish in the TaG final after successfully leading the most laps. She had a great run in the KF3 final and was in 2^nd position coming into the final turn however an incident occurred on the track hindering her from finishing the race.

“This was a great start to my championship campaign in TaG Jr.,” stated Martinez.  “We learned a lot as a team this weekend in the KF3 and I am looking forward to challenging for the win in both categories in Phoenix.” 

4-18-10 Chaves Continues Strong Pre-Season Showing in Italian F3 Testing

American Formula BMW Americas champion becomes a driver to watch at Misano World Circuit

 Rising American talent Gabby Chaves continued preparations for his inaugural season of European junior formula car competition on Wednesday and Thursday (April 14-15), with a strong showing in Italian Formula 3 Championship testing at the Misano World Circuit. The Eurointernational racer, despite having never seen the Italian circuit previously, ended official series testing on day one with third best time, before adding a top-10 result in day two private testing


With the start of the 2010 Italian Formula 3 Championship fast approaching, Chaves and the rest of the 25+ car field traveled to the Misano World Circuit for the lone official pre-season test. For Chaves, the goal right from the get go was to learn the 4.226-km road course – which will host Rounds One and Two – and continue developing his Eurointernational prepared Mygale M-10 Formula Three racing steed. Despite a wet track greeting Chaves and the rest the Italian F3 racers in the opening session, the highly-rated American was ready to meet his pre-test objectives. Unfortunately an engine malfunction limited Chaves to just five laps in the session. Thanks to some quick work by his crew, the reigning Formula BMW Americas champion was back behind the wheel when the second session got underway. Steadily improving with each lap, Chaves was within striking distance of the leaders. That trend continued in the third session, as despite being forced to pit prematurely for a suspension problem, Chaves ran times on par with racers more experienced with the Formula Three class and the Misano World Circuit. Chaves, making the most of a now fully dry track, ended official testing as driver worth keeping an eye on, posting the third fastest time of the day.

“It was a very tough day for both the team and me, but we did manage to improve immensely towards the end of the day,” stated Chaves. “It’s great to be on the pace with the top teams, but we still have to work very hard in order to be competitive for the championship.”

Like the vast majority of the leading Italian Formula 3 Championship teams, Chaves and Eurointernational remained at the Misano World Circuit on Thursday, taking part in private testing. Being a single-car rookie team, the goal for Chaves during all four sessions of private testing - as has been the case at all the test outing thus far - was to gather data and establish a good base setup to work with throughout the 2010 season. The 16 year-old racer accomplished that goal, routinely posting times among the top-10 en route to completing 93 laps, second most of any driver during the test.

Returning to the San Pietro Mosezzo base of operations – just outside of Milan – Eurointernational and Chaves are now preparing for the start of 2010 Italian Formula 3 Championship, which gets underway on April 24-25, with Rounds One and Two at the Misano World Circuit.

 

4-16-10 Red Line Oil Karting Championship Race #2 Recap

For the past three years, there has been one weekend of racing at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, at Infineon Raceway in which the race day was half light rain and half dry. The real rain drivers wished the race day would have been all rain so as to really experience the true skills of racing in the wet stuff. This past Sunday, the rain enthusiasts got their wish; a full day of rain. But, they got more than they asked for as the day was a full blown rain storm with wind and constant rain the entire event. Even though the rain cut down on the entry numbers, it did not dampen the hard driving of those that turned out to brave the blustery day. At the end of the race day, one driver was picked for the MOLECULE Dirty Driver award and that driver was Steve Peterson. Steve received a MOLECULE driver suit cleaning kit. Steve's suit really needed a good cleaning after Race #2.

Junior Rotax and Mini Max

The featured race of the day was the combined Junior Rotax/Mini Max race where the winner of the Junior Rotax class was selected to receive the GoPro HERO Camera. In Qualifying, Bobby Tifft took the pole in the Junior class followed by Josh Feiber. In Mini Max, pole went to Michael Michoff over Cole Davis. In the split start Pre-Main, Tifft took the initial lead, but went off and plowed through some water giving up the lead to Josh Feiber who took the win, followed closely by a surging Brody Zink. Third overall was a good battle between Davis and Michoff for the Mini Max class win. Michoff had a slight off later in the race allowing Davis to take the win. In the Main, Feiber took the early lead with Tifft moving up quickly to take over 2nd overall. Tifft got by to take the point with Zink taking over 2nd and chasing down the pole sitter and in the process setting fastest lap of the race. Brody could not find a clear opening in the spray to get by and had to settle for the runner up spot with Feiber taking the 3rd position. In the Mini Max class, Davis held the lead for the entire way but was closely pursued by Michoff for most of the race until a spin set him back a bit. Michoff recovered to take 2nd in class with Nate Fleischli taking 3rd in Mini Max.

For the win, Tifft received the GoPro HERO Camera award. For Race #3, the Rotax combined Masters / Masters Light class will be the featured class of the day, with the winner taking home the GoPro HERO Camera.

Rotax Masters and Masters Light

This was again the largest race group of the weekend with four Masters drivers and seven Masters Light entries. In Qualifying, Jerry Pretti (Light) took the pole over Andre Eriksen (Masters), Mert Solis (Light) and Gavin Sun (Masters). In the Pre-Main, Eriksen took the lead early and never looked back. The heavier drivers had the advantage in this race with four of the top five drivers being the heavier Masters class drivers. Sun took 2nd followed by Pretti and Peter Breidinger (Masters). In the Main, Eriksen took the lead and again never gave it up. The win was no cake walk with Jerry Pretti staying very close behind and ready to take advantage of any mistakes. Eriksen drove mistake-free to take his second Masters class win of the year. By taking 2nd overall, Pretti was the top Light class kart with Eric Sterner taking 3rd overall and 2nd in Light. Sun came home 4th overall, 2nd in Masters, followed by Mert Solis (3rd in Light), Jojo Bayabo (4th in Light) and John Breidinger (3rd in Masters).

Rotax Micro Max

After his wrist injury last fall, Wilson Skjerven returned to his racing form from last summer and took the pole for the Micro Max class followed by Annie and Toni Breidinger. In the Pre-Main, Annie Breidinger put her head down and charged into the lead at the start with Skjerven in close pursuit. Both Annie Breidinger and Toni Breidinger had some rain racing experience due to their Gatorz series driving and they put it to good use as they drove very smoothly while Skjerven had moments where he was fighting the lack of grip. Annie Breidinger came home 1st in the Pre-Main followed closely by her twin sister Toni Breidinger. In the Main, both Toni Breidinger and Skjerven had their spinning moments and this allowed Annie Breidinger to cruise home to a convincing win. Toni Breidinger came home 2nd and Skjerven 3rd.

80 Shifters

Five drivers braved the elements with Formula 80 Justin Gald taking pole over Greg Richter and Tom Nelson. In the Pre-Main, Gald took the early lead until he spun off in the wet. Nelson, the 2009 Masters Champ, took over the lead and went on to the win over Richter and Steve Peterson. In the Main, Nelson took the early lead but it turned into a two kart race between Nelson and Gald. Justin made a pass stick with less than two laps to go and went on to a slim win over Nelson. Nelson was the Masters class winner with Richter coming home 3rd overall.

Senior Rotax and IAME TaG

A seven kart field took the green flag with Carlos Calderon (Rotax) taking the pole over Raymond Bustamante (Rotax), Amber Friedberg (Rotax) and Michael Torrano who was the top TaG kart. In the Pre-Main, Calderon drove a flawless race and came home eleven seconds in front of Bustamante and Friedberg. The top TaG was Casey Monahan who finished 5th. In the Main, Bustamante made the untouchable Calderon work for the overall win by staying close. Bustamante's pressure paid off when Calderon spun off midway through the Main. Calderon was not going to give up easily and made a charge in the later half of the race but spun once more and had to return to the track and settle for the runner up spot. Bustamante took the win, Calderon 2nd, Matt Weiss (Rotax) 3rd and Friedberg 4th. Michael Torrano came home 5th overall, and 1st in IAME TaG.

With Race #2 in the books, the racers will have six weeks to dry out and prepare for Race #3 on May 23rd. Race #3 will be run at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway, on the fast Reverse National track configuration. All results for Race #2 can be seen on www.mylaps.com. For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship and the Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to www.cameronkarting.com  or www.norcalrotax.com .

4-16-10 Vemme Kart Team - SKUSA Pro Tour Spring Nationals Preview

SKUSA Super Nationals Super Pro Champion and Star Mazda race winner Lorenzo Mandarino, along with 2009 Rotax World Finals competitor Stepanova Nekeel, are heading to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma to compete against the best drivers in world on April 16-18.

After some time away from competition, Mandarino is determined to show he still has the right stuff to put his Vemme Omega chassis on the podium in the S1 Pro Stock Moto class. No matter how the dust settles in the end, a race featuring Mandarino guarantees a good show. “I’ll probably have to shake off some rust initially, but I’ve been testing a lot on the Vemme, and it’s a very fast kart. I think I’ve got a great shot at winning this race,” said Mandarino.

Nekeel will run his Vemme VM32 in the TaG Senior class. Nekeel scored a dominating win at Calspeed in the competitive Gatorz’ Challenge of the Americas series, his first time on a Vemme Kart. A problem-plagued weekend a few weeks ago at Infineon has Nekeel eager to prove the win at Calspeed is the norm. In a last-weekend tune-up for the Spring nationals, Nekeel led a stacked racing field of 20 drivers, including home track favorites, Canadian Rotax Champion Chris Glover, and CKI IAME Sr. National Champion Michael Hogg. Nekeel won both the pre-final and final at Greg Moore Raceway by a good margin. “I really love how the Vemme drives, it feels like it’s on rails. You can drive it so fast through the corners, it’s amazing,” Nekeel reports.

Mandarino and Nekeel want to say thanks to Vemme Kart and Checkered Flag Racing for their help and support. “We’re a new team, but we’re really coming together. Lorenzo and Stepanova work well together, and I look forward to some excellent racing and more than a few podiums for us this year. Look for us to be upfront wherever we go,” said Vince Mandarino, team principal.

Checkered Flag Racing, Ltd is the Canadian importer, and Vemme Kart is looking for a U.S. importer to take over the distribution south of the border. With a territory that includes all 50 states and a national level race team, here is a great opportunity to be part of Vemme Kart’s expansion into the growing U.S. market.

For additional information on the Vemme Kart line, race team or how to become the U.S. importer or dealer, please contact Vemme Kart directly at http://www.VemmeKart.it 
 

4-15-10 Region 11 Super Series Rain Dance, Stockton Motorplex
Story & Photos By RaceMediaGroup.com

 The third round of the 2010 Region 11 Super Series took place at Stockton Motorplex in Stockton Ca. The Stockton facility is known for its fast bullring type racing as well as its high grip levels. Weather played a major role on the weekend, in the fact that the practice and racing were dry, up until just before the start of the mains when Mother Nature began to disperse heavy rain and wind, creating the added obstacle for the drivers.

 
Kid Karts were first on the day and hotshoe Zach Corbitt continued his dominate success in the series. Perfect on the years racing thus far, Corbitt again was poised to continue his success. Zach qualified fast lap running a 47.339, almost a two second gap on the field. In the Heat race Corbitt jumped to a quick lead, however late in the race the driver on the move was MMI's Lizbeth Calvo, Spinning early on she drove back up to fifth, and looked to challenge Corbitt. In the final Corbitt got the jump on the start and rolled to a commanding victory 21 seconds ahead. Emmick Cobra's Stephon Daniel was second with Lizbeth Calvo third.

 
Jr Comer was on track and Bordogna's Nitro Nick Sommers turned fast lap in qualify with a 36.362. Nitro Nick was solid in the heat race leading from the start, and cruising to an unchallenged victory leaving competitors fighting for second. On the start of the Final, Nitro Nick hit a puddle and spun falling to the tail end of the field. It was Cambrian Go-Kart's Justin Yanez, Kartel's Joseph LaRosa, and MMI's Curt Paul fighting for the lead. No stranger to the Stockton Motorplex, Curt Paul grabbed the lead around halfway, and held on in the wet conditions for the win over Yanez. Magnum's Tyler Burk came home third.

 
Junior Superpipe had some new faces. JR Razko turned fast time in qualifying with a 33.699. In the Heat race however it was all Kartel's Luis Tyrrell with Raczko having trouble. As the Final got underway Tyrrell looked to have the rain setup and driving figured out as he pulled out to a big lead early. The wet conditions saw Tyrrell spin and give up the lead to Raczko. Tyrrell put his head down to run back down the leader. Luis pulled the trigger with five to go and again ran away to a big victory. Post race tech saw Tyrrell get removed for a Pipe infraction, giving the lead to JR Raczko. Chad Cindell finished second with Jacob Huff third.

In the Shifter Category MMI's Jake VanDrimmelen got the victory in the Sr division with Mat Kattanek getting the win in the Masters Division. Connor McNeil edged out Craig Davidson in a close race in the 4-cycle division.

Sr Super pipe showed talent and Leading Edge Motorsport's Brett Felkins continues to run up front in the class. Felkins qualified with a 33.992 nearly a half second on the field. Felkins drove to an easy win in the heat with Ryan Casner showing some speed late. On the start of the final Felkins jumped to a quick lead. Casner didn't make it back around after the second lap and Felkins cruised to the victory. Kartel's Dylan Albiani finished second with Extreme Motorsports Brian Gallagher third.

 KPV-1 Jr was next up and Bordogna's Nitro Nick was looking for redemption after losing the win in the Comer category. Nitro qualified fast time with a 35.391 nearly a half second on the field. In the heat race his dominance was evident as Nitro Nick ran away from the field. On the start of the final, the story was the same. Nitro Nick laid down fast times throughout the race and drove to a 14 second victory. Cambrian Go-Kart's Justin Yanez finished second with Cambrian Go-Kart's Gino Giglotti third.

 
TAG Sr was on track and Leading Edge Motorsports Troy Diede was looking to make it two in a row coming off his great finish at Dixon. Diede qualified pole with a 32.681 just edging Kartel's Jon Ban. In the Heat Ban went out early as did Bronson Eggert leaving Diede for an easy Victory. On the start of the final Diede again jumped out to an early lead and then cruised to a solid win. Andrew Peeler finished second and Andrew Colombini third.

 
KPV-2 Jr was on track to entertain. Perhaps the closest field on the weekend and Kartel's Austin Elliott qualified pole with a 33.651. In the Heat race Elliott got his momentum up early to have an easy run to the win. In the Final Kartel's Luis Tyrrell looked to be the driver to beat. Getting the lead early Luis began to check out. A spin in turn three saw Tyrrell fall to fifth, but another great run up through the field had Tyrrell once again leading. White flag saw Tyrrell spin once again handing the lead over to Austin Elliott for the win. Tyrrell recovered for second with Raczko third.

 
In 125 Stock Moto Kartel's Adam Booker qualified pole with a 31.901. Booker had a solid run in the heat with a victory, but decided to sit out the main due to rain. In the final Leading Edge Motorsports Cody Diede assumed the lead early, but Cambrian Go-Kart's Jamie Wilson was the driver to beat. As the raced progressed Wilson figured out the wet track and drove to a two second victory. Ryen Miller was second with Adam Booker finishing third after Diede was removed in post race Tech.

 The Region 11 Super series continues to have high kart counts and close racing showing impressive results for the young season. The next race will take place at Prairie City in Rancho Cordova with the New All Star Karting Promoting the event May 1-2. For more information visit the official Region 11 Super Series website at NorcalKarters.com or for track information visit AllStarKarting.com. For Region 11 IKF Series Points view www.NorcalKarters.com/regionals6.htm. For Stockton IKF Photos view http://scribnerracingpromotions.zenfolio.com/

4-4-10 Karts Stolen at Stockton Motorplex Park

Fellow Karters,

Both my 80 Shifter and 125 Shifter karts were stolen from the Stockton Motorplex April 2 a.m. Both karts were chained and padlocked together along with a manual Kartlift and to the back of my trailer and covered by a tarp. I was sleeping in my trailer 10' away. The theives pushed the north gate open with their truck, forced open my padlock and hauled them away. The following description is given in the hope of recovering both karts for which I am offering a $500 reward. Pictures will be supplied as soon as I receive them from Kristin at West Coast Karters.

80 Shifter Description

Red 2005 Supersonic V chassis; black Unico bodywork without decals other than 61 numbers; black padding covered Tillet seat; black carbon fiber floor pan; black vented spindle-mount wheels and YHC practice tires; long black and aluminum Wildkart rear hubs; black Wilwood brake system; white gas tank; 6 speed CR-80R Woltjer modified Honda engine with "DEAN ENG # 2" inscribed on lower inside case; pump-around fuel supply system with green-blue fuel line, Mikuni carburetor, blue two-hole airbox; Banke exhaust pipe with uninscribed 10" aluminum sheathed silencer; black with red and white lettered Speed Concepts SPI-CR80A ignition box and control switch mounted behind seat; and Michron Gold data acquition gage on steering wheel with data box under driver's faring.

125 Shifter Description

Black 2005 Trackmagic Diablo chassis; black Unico bodywork with black-yellow-orange MG and 61 numbers; aluminum floor pan; Tillet seat with yellow G-Force ribbed pads on back side of seat; black vented wheels and YHC practice tires; long aluminum rear hubs; white gas tank; 6 speed CR-125R Stock Moto Honda engine with "JE01E" inscribed on case; pump-around fuel supply system with green-blue fuel line, Keihin PWK carburetor, red K&N air filter; RLV pipe with uninscribed 10" aluminum silencer; stock Honda ignition box mounted to back of seat, and Michron Gold data acquition gage on steering wheel with data box under driver's faring.

Thank you for your help.

Darrel Dean
Cell Tel: 775-771-2806
Home Tel: 775-849-9554
Email: dadeangeo@aol.com

4-13-10 LAKC offering free entries for upcoming IKF Region 7 race May 1-2, 2010

The Los Angeles Kart Club is fully supporting the “RELOADING” of The REGION 7 I.K.F. Championship series Presented by: BRIDGESTONE

FIRST CLASS ENTRY WILL BE “FREE”

Entry form available now @ www.goracingmagazine.com/download/lakc.pdf

www.lakc.org  & www.ikfkarting-r7.com  www.ikfkarting.com

LAKC and IKF Region 7 are pleased to announce a special offer for the next event which is both the final race of the 2010 Winter/Spring Series and the first race of the 2010 Summer/Fall series. All current members of the IKF as well as any member from one of the 10 clubs in the region that host IKF races will qualify for this free entry. Your free entry will be applied if you register for a second class, if you sign up for one class there will only be a $15.00 fee you will need to pay to cover the cost of the insurance and ambulance. All additional classes will be at the regular rate. This “Reloading” special is only for the LAKC hosted race at CalSpeed Kart Track in Fontana, California on May 1st and 2nd.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, April 30th

Open practice will be provided by Cal Speed Kart Track and is not an official part of the Region 7 program. The “No Practice Policy” is not in affect for this day. All reserved pit spots will be honored on this day. You may leave your trailer overnight so long as you are in your reserved spot. Overnight camping will not be available Friday night. Please visit www.calspeedkarting.com for details on fees and times of operation for Friday.

Saturday, May 1st

On Saturday, the gates will open at 6:00 a.m. for official registration and move in. Official practice runs from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. During Saturday evening, the Winter/Spring classes that have been cut from the Summer/Fall series will race to conclude their season and establish the championship standings. We will have the drivers meeting at 4:30 p.m. for the Rookie Sportsman, and TAG / Master PRD Controlled (82 T + or - 1 tooth) classes. Racing will start at 5:00 p.m. and will consist of the standard Qualifying, Heat, and Main event races. The awards ceremony will immediately follow the race. Overnight camping is available for Saturday night and can be ordered on the entry form.

Sunday, May 2nd

The gates open at 6:00 a.m. for registration and move in. The drivers meeting is at 7:00 a.m. sharp and practice will start at 7:45. The complete race day schedule will be available prior to the event on the LAKC web site at www.lakc.org 

Live timing and scoring can be viewed all day at: http://www.lakc.org/content/live_timing.html 

Classes that will race Sunday are in the following order:
1. Jr. 2 PRD: 320 lbs 78T + or - 1 tooth
2. Komet-1: 240 lbs
3. Kid Karts: 160 lbs.
4. Komet-4 @ 360 lbs / SR. Super Sportsman @ 340 lbs *

4-13-10 GoPro to Sponsor Red Line Oil Karting Championship

GoPro, the world's leading manufacturer of wearable and gear mountable digital cameras for sports, has been chosen by the Red Line Oil Karting Championship as the official on-board camera for the series. GoPro's industry leading HD Motorsports HERO camera will be mounted on top racers' helmets and karts to bring the excitement of the Red Line Oil Karting Championships to fans around the world. HD Motorsports HERO cameras will also be awarded to competitors, as well.

The HD Motorsports HERO camera captures professional broadcast quality 1080p HD video and sound. The camera's quick-release mounting design makes it easy to re-position the camera around the vehicle and on drivers' helmets to capture professional quality HD video from multiple angles. Footage from the races will be published on gopro.com and the Red Line Oil Karting Championship website.

For series promoter Steve Cameron, adding GoPro to the growing list of sponsors is a high profile way to market the Red Line Oil Karting Championship as the premier karting series in Northern California.

"One of our priorities with the Red Line Oil Karting Championship is to give the competitors exposure to a wider audience without incurring the cost of travel", Cameron said, "Using GoPro's HD HERO camera can help racers gain national coverage thanks to the ease of online sharing of the incredible GoPro HD race footage. A lot of eyes in the motorsports world are following GoPro and it's powerful that our racers will benefit from that association, as well. From the marketing exposure for the racers, their sponsors, and the training benefits of using GoPro's cameras on the karts...we're very excited about having GoPro join the Red Line Oil Karting Championship as a sponsor."

"Racing is our passion and what drives us to make such high performance, durable HD cameras," said Nicholas Woodman, CEO and founder of GoPro. "Few environments in motorsports are as punishing as a racing kart...and now from the CIK-FIA World Cup to the Red Line Oil Karting Championship, GoPro is the reliable HD video solution that more karting organizations are turning to than any other camera. We look forward to watching the HD footage as well as celebrating the rising stars competing in the Red Line Oil Karting Championship."

Click here to see the GoPro HD HERO camera in action at the Infineon kart track.

More information about GoPro can be found at www.gopro.com

The next Red Line Oil Karting Championship race is Sunday, May 23rd, at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon raceway, in Sonoma, California.

For more information on the series go to: www.cameronkarting.com 
www.norcalrotax.com

4-8-10 Red Line Oil Karting Championship Race #2 set for this weekend

Race #2 of the Red Line Oil Karting Championship is set to take the green flag this coming Sunday, April 11, at the Jim Russell International Karting track at Infineon Raceway.  This race will challenge the drivers with the tight Sprint Track layout.  All the Rotax classes from the Northern California Rotax Challenge will run along with the 80 shifter classes and NEW IAME TaG class.  Several drivers have been requesting information about the new Parilla only IAME TaG class, thus there should be a larger turn out for this class on Sunday.

The strongest turnout of the year has been the 8 drivers that turned out for the Rotax Mini-Max (ages 9 to12) class last month.  The strength of the class was evident with 6 drivers all having fastest laps within 2 tenths of each other in the Main.  Race #1 winner Blaine Rocha was challenged more in last months Red Line Oil series opener than he was the following week at the Gatorz Infineon race.  The strength of the Mini-Max class is why it will be the featured race at the end of the day on Sunday.

The 80 shifter field had a strong turn out of 10 karts last month demonstrating the popularity of this uniquely Northern California class.  The mixture of good engine performance and economics makes this a great class to run at the .72 mile Infineon kart track.  The Masters class will be hotly contested between four drivers with 2 past champions, Tom Nelson and Bob Lesnett, being contested by 2 other drivers, Marc Stanley and Ahmiel Freed, who would like nothing better than to dethrone Tom and Bob.

A new sponsor is added to this event, Go Pro.  Go Pro will be awarding a Go Pro Hero Camera to the winner of the Junior Rotax class for this race.  A different class will be selected at each of the remaining races for the Hero Camera award. 

Practice starts at 8:30 with Qualifing starting at 10:30.  Racing starts at 12:15.  Entry fee is $100, Pit Passes are $10 with kids 11 and under costing only $5.  Practice available from 12:00 to 6:00 on Saturday along with Pre-Registration.

For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship, go to www.cameronkarting.com , www.norcalrotax.com or contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com. 

The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is supported with over $20,000 of prizes and awards from the following sponsors:

Red Line Oil
Cambrian Go Karts
Italian Motors USA
Jim Russell Racing Drivers School
Metal Mashers – Design by Rolf
Mobile Shop
MOLECULE
Uncle Joe’s Sauces and Ribs
Go Pro

4-7-10 SKUSA ProTour SpringNationals Apr 16-18 -- Important Event Details!

Hello SKUSA racers!

We’re just barely a week away from one of the biggest weekends in recent Superkarts! USA history with the debut of the new SKUSA Pro Tour this month, and the staff is fired up and ready to take care of you in Sonoma, CA! The inaugural SKUSA SpringNationals will take place on April 16-18 at the Jim Russell Int’l Karting Center at Infineon Raceway, with wine country providing a stunning backdrop.

With an expected entry list of over 120 competitors heading to the area, SKUSA is totally focused on putting on a mini-SuperNationals for all of you. We would love to have you join us, helping to kick off our national championship breakout party. We’ve got a lot of things planned, including the following:

- Thursday Night Welcome Party -- after Registration check-in and Manager's Reception at host hotel Embassy Suites
- Daily Complimentary Receptions at hotel
- Friday Night Trackside BBQ
- Main Event Driver Introductions
- Sunday Night AfterParty at hotel

In addition, we’ve put together an exciting list of purses and prizes as well -- with hopefully more to be finalized SOON!

- $3500 purse split for S1 and TaG Senior -- including $1000 to each winner EACH PRO TOUR WEEKEND
- $5000 for the overall Pro Tour champion in S1 and TaG Senior -- plus $2000 cash to second and $1000 to third overall
- Full entry package for TaG Junior and TaG Master point leader heading into SuperNationals (entry, pit pass, tires and fuel)
- Free Mini Rok motor for winner of TaG Cadet class EACH WEEKEND
- Free entry to the 2011 Rok Cup Int'l Finals -- along with an engine, chassis, race tires, practice tires, fuel, and hotel stay for 4 nights --
to the overall Pro Tour TaG Cadet champion
- Free entries to the 2011 SKUSA Pro Tour for overall class champions
- SKUSA National Number Plates to top-three in points in each class

And last, but definitely not least, the top five drivers in points heading into the SuperNationals at the Rio in November will be guaranteed a starting position in the main event of their class -- for any and all classes where we expect over 80 drivers, regardless of what happens in the heats or the LCQs. If you were planning to run in the TaG Senior class, for example (where we expect over 80 drivers) this would be your ticket to the SuperSunday show!

SKUSA is focusing on setting a new standard in terms of off-track excitement as well, thanks to the beautiful hotel that will host our races. We will be basing our operations, including Thursday's registration, at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, CA. This is an incredible hotel that will be rolling out the red carpet for SKUSA. Race Registration and Check-in will be offered at the hotel throughout the afternoon on Thursday, April 15th starting at 2pm; the ‘SpringNationals Welcome Party’ will take place in the hotel’s bar area during and following the ‘Manager’s Reception’ – which kicks off at 5:30 pm – complete with an interactive edition of eKartingNews.com’s Trackside Live show featuring interviews with assorted Pro Tour competitors. SKUSA will also present its popular ‘AfterParty’ on Sunday evening at the hotel, so that the racing community can celebrate an exciting weekend of competition.

This event will kick off a big year for Superkarts! USA, and we invite all of you to come and play. Don’t miss it!

All event details, as well as the online registration, is on the Pro Tour section of www.superkartsusa.com. You can register online now with a credit card by clicking here.

IMPORTANT! PRE-ENTRY CUTOFF FOR THIS RACE WEEKEND IS THIS COMING SUNDAY, APRIL 11TH at MIDNIGHT. Registration at the track will be an additional $150 for drivers that do not pre-register before midnight on 4/11.

Other important website links for the Pro Tour:

· event format and schedule

· specific event rules

· track layout and other venue info

· host hotel info -- cutoff for special pricing is THIS FRIDAY, April 9th!

· pit spot reservations -- being accepted now at the SKUSA home office

We look forward to seeing you in Sonoma!
Tom and Patti Kutscher
Superkarts! USA

4-6-10 IKF Region 11 Super Series-Round 3 Stockton Motorplex
Story by RaceMediaGroup.com

After a successful start to the 2010 season for the IKF Region 11 Super Series the racers are preparing for round three as they head to the fast bullring at Stockton. The racing in Region 11 thus far has been fierce as drivers have been battling throughout races, and many times to the checkered flag. Stockton is infamous for its side by side racing in years past, with the impressive results from the highly talented Norcal Racers in the first two rounds, Stockton has become the highest anticipated race of 2010.

Located in the downtown Industrial area of Stockton, Ca. off of Airport way, the bullring at Stockton is one of the fastest tracks in Norcal while also being one of the smallest. The on track action happens fast at Stockton and the G-force will be on high with the amazing grip the track holds. Turn one and two are flat high speed turns, as the racers exit turn two they drive through a long left curved straight into the high banked turn three. The combinations of the first three turns allows the driver to run side by side, as they exit three racers must run single file through the flat-out high speed back straight esses leading to a dog legged short shoot into the west turn.

The driver’s setup for the front shoot through the bus stop chicane where the bump and run is a popular tool put to use with the drivers as they race to the finish line. Fast times in the Stock Moto category may get into the 29 second bracket for the fastest lap on the weekend.

What makes this event special for the racers is the setup on the weekend. All racing takes place on Sunday, allowing teams to not miss school or work. Extra long practice Saturday will be available as Stockton has lights. Saturday night the Dirt Oval track will run Mini Sprint Cars providing extra entertainment for the Karters. Lastly, because it’s Stockton and its location, the facility lends itself to many racers from Southern Ca. while the struggling economy takes its toll on low kart counts for the Region 7 IKF events, racers can get their race punches to qualify for the IKF Grand Nationals at Willow Springs.

A short drive from the track to the host hotel Ramada Plaza is offering a special room rate for the karters. Standard rooms will run as low as $55 a night. Teams can simply go to www.HeritageHotelGroup.com , Follow the links to the Stockton Location, and they can book online with using the Promotional code of “SM51”.

For more information on the Region 11 Super Series and other racing in Northern Ca. visit the official Region 11 IKF Super Series website by visiting www.NorcalKarters.com

4-6-10 Raquel Martinez Gatorz Report

“Martinez scores two more top five finishes”

Just days after turning fourteen years old, Raquel Martinez and Martinez Racing headed north to Infineon Raceway for the final round of the Gatorz Challenge of Americas. While looking forward to racing at one of her favorite tracks in the country, Raquel was hopeful she would finish the championship on a high note.

Saturday did not start as the team had hoped with Raquel qualifying in the 13^th position.  Getting off to a great start in the prefinal, she was able to work her way up to the 7^th spot.  The team went to work on the kart before the final and was able to find a bit more speed for Raquel.  It was not an easy task, but Raquel fought hard to secure the fifth position in the final.

Sunday proved to be a much better day.  Raquel qualified 8^th but found major speed for the prefinal finishing in the 3^rd spot with a last lap pass for the position.  Raquel had some of the best starts of the weekend, but unfortunately she did not get off to the best start in final and fell back a few positions.  Once the kart came in she was on fire hunting down third place and came up just a few laps short finishing in the fourth position.

“I am happy with another strong performance this weekend,” stated Martinez.  “Every race we are improving and learning in preparation for the Grand Nationals later this year.”

For more information please visit www.raquelmartinez.com.  Next up for the team is the opening round of the WSK North American series in which Raquel will return to TaG Jr. and will make her debut in KF3 in preparation for the WSK World Series.

4-1-10 Northwest Gold Cup/ Rotax Max Challenge Series Round One Doesn’t Disappoint

With 156 entries present and accounted for at the 2010 opening round in Richland Washington, it was clear Saturday morning that Northwest Gold Cup racing was alive and well.

Saturday’s weather was spectacular and the energy throughout the pits was apparent. For most, it had been a long off season, and on this day, one quickly realized, it doesn’t get any better than this.

The Italian Motors USA team was in town to support the newly formed IAME Cup series and as always they brought their “A” game. With drivers such as Jurca, Blair, Valiente, and Hargrove among others everybody knew they were in for some incredible racing.

Tri-City’s race track is a special place, it’s unique blend of track configuration, landscape, and onsite facility’s make it arguably one the circuits best. The club and it members represent “well” all that is important about grass roots, community sponsored racing.

Throughout the weekend, planned events, and races took place without a hitch. Under the Direction of Bam Racing, Bill Hettick and crew once again set a high standard. Announcer Terry Bridges of Pro Sound Audio brought the races to life for the large contingent of spectators.

Saturday’s festivities closed with live entertainment and barbeque. Both were great, just another day at the track, are we lucky or what.

Sunday was all business, round one would be decided here, today. The weather was changing, and word went through the pits, there would likely be rain before the day was out.

As I did my best to watch the many races taking place this day, several things struck me:

1) I had just witnessed a truly exciting display of kart racing, one that had spectators on their feet applauding. That being the IAME Cup Senior main, this was a incredible display of driving put on by team IM USA which unfortunately ended with a spectacular crash in turn two. Driver Johnny Blair walked away from the incident and was reported to be ok, suffering only a sore neck and headache.

2) The fight put up by local racer Joey Mcguire, who simply refused to bow to the will of a hard charging and determined Phillip Arscott, while a disappointed Andrew Zimmer could do little more then look on after an unfortunate spin in turn one left his kart, himself, and any hopes of a victory in the Rotax senior final off in the grass for the remainder of the race.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: The young and upcoming talent, names such as Wick, Byers, Zamora, Poynor, Wallin, Carpenter, Helmuth, Gannon, O’neil, and a Stingray called Robb, just to name a few of the many. I realized karting in the northwest is doing just fine.

There is no question that the 4 Stroke classes were in full force this past weekend, when it came to close competitive racing, they provided it.

Saturday 4 Stroke:

JR 1 Briggs Animal Light, one of the larger JR classes for the weekend brought some steep competition as Brittney Zamora and Sting Ray Robb were in the hunt to capture their first win of the season. Both drivers were headed  to the checkered when contact happened allowing Devan Smith and Justin Demars who were close behind an opportunity to score 1^st and 2^nd.  Following was Bryce Peterson , Kyle Adams, Gaetan Ertle, Thibaut Ertle, Sting Ray Robb, Brittney Zamora, and Kellen Dean rounding out the field.

F200, a Grand National class for the 2010 IKF Grand Nationals has brought out some of the local and national talent as 10 Drivers took to the grid with the high reving F200 engines. The racing was close and intense as Alan Cathey, top qualifier, and David Dean traded places in the first couple of laps. After lap 5 Cathey had the lead and comfortably distanced  himself for the win but the race was for 2^nd thru 5^th, as Joey Miller, Corey Poyner, Michael Croft and Brooke Poyner traded spots throughout the race to round off the top five positions.

The JR 2 IKF Briggs World Formula class for 2010 has seen some growth as several new faces have appeared on the grid for the first race of the season. Tiffany Brown, a local favorite, showed the way with the number one qualifying position, but it was Michael Gutenberger moving up from JR 1 who was able keep the pace and get through in the main to stay in front of Tiffany Brown for the win. David Schorn, Nick Ferguson along with new comers Max Mulkey, Jonathon Brown finishing out the field.  In the same group were your JR 2 Briggs Animal Podium finishers of Myles Pederson, Logan Livesay, and Hailey Groff.

IKF Briggs World Formula Heavy, gridding the largest class of the weekend was full of excitement as the Lawrence brothers Terry and Tim had most of the field covered. With a quick jump in the main, Terry Lawrence cruised on his way for the win with Tim coming from 5^th, moved up to 2^nd by lap 8.  The excitement was the run for 3^rd place.  Chris Hatch tried but couldn’t hold off the combo of Scott Barlee, and Austin Moon, as they teamed up to get by Hatch with 3 laps to go in the on the front straight away.  Bryan Green feeling lucky made his move on Hatch on the inside straight to finish out the top five.

Sunday 4 Stroke:

Briggs Gas Animal was a race of musical chairs with the music stopping in every corner and lead changing with it.  It was anybody’s guess as to who was going to win this one.  Just when you thought there was a clear leader, 3 more hungry animals would line up and move on by in the turns and, no one place on the track was safe from a pass.  With the lead changes happening every 10 seconds there was no way to keep track until the checkered flag.  With Corey Poynor taking the win, following up with Brett Lucas, Joey Miller, Kelly Poynor, and then Brooke Poynor in the action with a 5^th spot finish.

JR 1 Animal Heavy, came a new day with Sunday’s race and it was a good one.  Race winner Sting Ray Robb was driving for his life on this day as Devin Smith and Brittney Zamora breathing down Sting Ray’s Bumper the whole time working him over looking for the that inch of room to make the pass.  Sting Ray didn’t let the pressure get to him as he ran a nearly flawless race holding of his competitors.  Close behind the lead group were Bryce Peterson, Justin Demars, Thibaut Ertle, Kyle Adams, and Gaetan Ertle

JR 2 Brigg Gas Animal Heavy saw a tight group at qualifying and some great racing in the heat race.  David Schorn was able to get a good start in the main and keep a safe distance for the most part of the race.  Michael Gutenberger and Myles Pederson had contact in lap 3 but Michael was able run the fastest laps of the race but was not able to catch Schorn.  Hailey Groft was able hold on to 2^nd place as Myles Pederson, Michael Gutenberger, Nick Ferguson, and Logan Livesay finished out the field.

To make the day finish in a timely manner, World Formula Medium and World Formula Masters are ran together filling the grid with 18 karts.  With that in  mind there is racing action for position all over the track.  Both Tim and Terry Lawrence were the fast ones in Medium but there were some serious threats by both Brett Lucas and Scott Barlee  throughout the race.  World Formula Masters, another tight race of the top 5, saw Chris Hatch get the early jump on Schorn at the start and was able to hold off any advances by him.  Gabriel Kajdy, right behind, just waited for the opportune time and was able to make a pass around Schorn late in the race with Bryan Green and Dana McDonald  bringing in the rest of the top five for the race.  And what a race it was all weekend long for the ever so competitive 4 Stroke classes!

Shifters:

The Italian Motors USA Team displayed their racing talent yet again in the Shifters class throughout the weekend with Michael Valiante setting the pace on Saturday with a fast lap of 39.28, putting him on pole, followed by Scott Hargrove in 2^nd, Kelly Baker in 3^rd, and Antony Halcrow in the 4^th place qualifying spot.  The racers went back and forth all weekend long displaying some amazing driving.  In Heat 1 Michael Valiante took 1^st place, followed by Kelly Baker in 2^nd, Scott Hargrove in 3^rd, and Antony Halcrow in 4^th.  In the end, a very fast Michael Valiante took home the win, with Kelly Baker in 2^nd, Scott Hargrove in 3^rd, and Mike McGowan in the 4^th place spot.

IAME Leopard Jr 3:

Artie Carpenter was the guy to beat in IAME Leopard as he qualified on pole with a fast lap of 39.96.  Tanner Dates qualified 2^nd, followed by Paige Wallin in 3^rd, and Colton Shultz in 4^th.  In Heat 2 a disappointed Artie Carpenter had to pull off the track due to a mechanical failure, as a very eager Paige Wallin made her way to the front for the win.  Tanner Dates followed with a close 2^nd, and Colton Schultz in 3^rd.  For the main, Artie Carpenter was able to get his kart back together, and took home the win for the IAME Jr class.  Colton Schultz made his way up for the 2^nd spot, followed by Tanner Dates in 3^rd.

Rotax Mini Max:

If there was any way to win in this class, a rope would need to be thrown around the #9 of Kyle Wick. He dominated all weekend starting with a fast qualifying lap of 42.16 to put him on pole.  Other up and coming young guns to watch out for; Tyler Brown qualifying in 2^nd, Sting Ray Robb in 3^rd, and Marco Eakins in 4^th.  Kyle Wick took the first place spot in Heat 1, while Sting Ray Robb eagerly made his way up to 2^nd, Tyler Brown followed in 3^rd, with Marco Eakins in 4^th.  These young talents went back and forth in Heat 2 to make for a great race to watch, as a disappointed Tyler Brown was only able to complete 5 laps.  Kyle Wick finished in 1^st, a fast Sting Ray Robb in 2^nd, Marco Eakins in 3^rd, and Cole Franchinni in 4^th.  In the main event Kyle Wick took home first place, with Tyler Brown coming in 2^nd, followed by Marco Eakins in 3^rd, and Sting Ray Robb in the 4^th place spot.

Rotax Junior:

It was Artie Carpenter who dominated the Rotax Junior class throughout the weekend starting with a fast qualifying lap of 39.86 to place him on pole.  Mathew Moniz qualified 2^nd, followed by Kyle Byers in 3^rd, and Tanner Dates in 4^th.  In Heat 2 Artie Carpenter took 1^st, with a determined Kyle Byers making his way up to 2^nd, with right behind him was Austin Hudson making his way up to 3^rd, and a fast Molly Helmuth who made her way up to 4^th.  It was quite the show to watch these talented racers make their moves bound and determined to get to the front. In Heat 2 it was apparent that CJ Gannon was looking for a piece of the action as he eagerly made his way to the forth place spot.  Half way through the main event, the crowd watched as karts started to spin off the track right and left due to the rain that began to fall.  The drivers were all given the high sign to come into the pits to switch to rain tires.  Everyone frantically ran to their trailers to gather rain set up equipment.  The juniors returned to the track and started the remained of the race single file in the order of the last completed lap.  It was then made clear Kyle Byers’ ability to charge hard in the rain as he passed Artie Carpenter for the lead never looking back.  The rain continued to come down hard as Kyle Byers took the checkered for 1^st place. Artie Carpenter came in 2^nd, Mathew Moniz 3^rd, and CJ Gannon in 4^th.  

Rotax Micro Max/ Gazelle cadet:

Seth Appel set the pace for the Micro Max/ Gazelle class qualifying on pole with a fast lap of 46.68.  Deirdra O’neil qualified in 2^nd, with Job Kandris in 3^rd, and Sara Brinkac in 4^th.  Deirdra O’neil drove hard and had a great race weekend making her way up to 1^st place in Heat 1 never to look back, with Seth Appel in 2^nd, Sara Brinkac in 3^rd, and Mason Morgan in 4^th.  Mason Morgan was a man on a mission as he made is way up to the second place spot in Heat 2.  But at the end of the day it was Deirdra O’neil who kept the lead taking home the win, followed by the very fast Job Kandris who drove hard to the 2^nd place spot, putting Mason Morgan in 3^rd, and Seth Appel in 4^th.

One for record books, this weekend was truly a winner! Congratulates all the competitors who turned out to support their region! A region steeped in history and tradition.

See you all Friday April 23 – 25 in Richland, WA. when the Seattle Kart Club will host Round two.

4-1-10 IAME TaG at the Red Line Oil Karting Series Brings new Life back to the Parilla Engine

For 2010, the Red Line Oil Karting Championship has changed the old TaG class to allow the many Parilla engines to be raced both competitively and more economically. 

Series Promoter Steve Cameron has set some new objectives for this class to help lower the maintenance costs for this engine by using a spec gear system to lower the operating RPM so the engines will last.  In addition, the spec gear formula allows heavier drivers to compete with lighter drivers by using different gears depending on minimum kart/driver  weight.  “Lowering the RPM’s will go a long way to allow the racer to get more races out of a rebuild and save the racer money on the long run” says Steve.  “We want to bring back the fun part of racing the Parilla engines without all the high costs of maintenance.  Besides, there are a lot of good Parilla engines in peoples trailers that can be bought for low prices right now.”  The goal of using the spec gear is to keep the engines RPMs under 16,500.

The spec gear formula is as follows:

For a kart/driver with a minimum weight a 370#, the only gears the racer can use is a 10-75 or an 11-82.  For a minimum 385# kart/driver the gear to use will be 10-76 or 11-83.  And for a kart/driver of 400# or more, the spec gears to use would be 10-77 or 11-85. 

The sliding scale of the weights and gear will allow drivers of various weights to compete with each other.

The IAME TaG class is open to only the Parilla Leopard engines and any past engines can run.  08 and 09 spec engines must run stock per TaG USA rules, but older TaG engine that were built to the IKF National Cup specs will also be allowed to run.

And to help this class, Italian Motors has stepped up to sponsor the class at the Red Line Oil series.  A new 09 engine will be given away at the end of the year to either the series winner, or to one of the top 3 in the class.  In addition, Italian motors is giving away  certificates towards TaG part purchases to the top 3 drivers at each race.  $50 certificate for the winner, $25 for 2^nd place and $15 for 3^rd place.

So if you have one of those Parillas that you would like to race again, the IAME TaG class at the Red Line Oil Karting Championship Series may be the place for you.  Next races of the Red Line Oil series are April 11 and May 23 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway.  There are still 7 more races left in the 2010 season.

For more information about the IAME TaG class, go to www.cameronkarting.com or contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com.

The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is also supported by the following sponsors with over $20,000 of prizes available to the racers:

Red line Oil
Cambrian Go-Karts
Italian Motors USA
Jim Russell Racing Drivers School
Metal Mashers – Rolf by Design
Mobile Shop
Molecule
Uncle Joe’s Sauces and Ribs

4-1-10 Pole and Top Five for Runyan in USAC Racing at Blythe

17 year-old Bobby Runyan, Jr. continued his hot start to the 2010 season for Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle on Saturday by earning the pole in the USAC Ford Focus Midgets at I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif.

Runyan is slated to run a full schedule in the USAC Western Pavement Ford Focus Midget Series and is in his second season in the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development program, and his first full season in USAC Focus Midgets.

In time trials, Runyan tied Cody Gerhardt with identical 14.046 second laps around the quarter-mile asphalt in southwestern California. Runyan was awarded the pole on virtue of setting his qualifying lap first.

The 2009 SCCA Formula Ford Regional Champion started fourth in the dash race and passed teammate Austin Farley to move into third at the finish.

A six car inversion placed Runyan sixth on the starting grid for the 11 car, 40 lap feature event. The event paid points for Western Pavement, SoCal Pavement, and Utah regional series.

Runyan battled a loose condition throughout the race but benefited from his extensive fitness campaign to maintain a solid position and finish in fifth place.

From a championship points perspective, it was a big night for Runyan as he moved within two points of teammate Eli Schrock in the USAC Western Pavement and USAC SoCal regional points series. Both series get back to action in two weeks on April 10 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Bullring.

“I can’t wait to see how Bobby and Eli do as they battle it out in the points,” driver coach Ron Sutton said. “Bobby is already showing veteran poise and midseason form just two races into the season and his development as the year progresses is going to be fun to watch!”

Bobby Runyan Racing and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: Raging Bull Motorsports, Inventory Sales Company, Sparco, K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels and Star Racing Supply.

Race fans can learn more about Bobby Runyan, Jr. Racing at his brand-new website at www.bobbyrunyan.com

For more information on Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle, log on to www.winners-circle-racing.com 

 

4-1-10 Team Aluminos Victorious Again in Apple Valley fro Pro Kart Challenge

Aluminos owner Soares and G1 driver Diaz dominate as squad continues win streak

 Team Aluminos continues to march on as the third month of the season draws to a close. For a fifth straight event, Team Aluminos leaves the race track with victory in hand, this time doubling up at the ProKart Challenge South event at Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, California. Aluminos manager Rob Soares strapped on the helmet for the first time in 2010 and dominated the TaG Masters category while G1 driver Fernando Diaz returned to the team for a sweep in his division. S1 pilot Brad Dunford kept his name in the title chase with his second podium on the year in the headline division.

Diaz missed the second round of the PKC South program but showed little weakness in his return aboard an Aluminos prepared entry. A lap of 52.680 was best in the qualifying session and put him on the pole position for the opening heat race. Nearly leading all the laps, Diaz ran to a 1.703-second victory in the opening stint. Heat 2 saw Diaz trailing early on as the off-pole man jumped the start and held the early lead. After some exchanges for the lead, Diaz crossed the line second but was awarded the win following the officials penalty on his competitor. The 20-lap feature would then be a great showdown between the two. Running second for the first half of the race, Diaz stepped up his game. After the two exchanged the lead, Diaz confirmed the position as the white flag flew. Holding off the final lap charges of the current defending champion, Diaz got to the line 0.209-seconds ahead to score his second victory of the season.

For Soares return, it was like riding a bike. The 2008 PKC North TaG Masters champion returned behind the wheel thanks to the help of Aluminos driver Larry Fraser. Race day started as Soares posted a scorching lap of 56.150 during the qualifying session to scoring the top honor by over half a second. Never backing off, Soares recorded runaway wins in both heat races. Continuing that trend in the final, Soares continued to knock off the fast laps of the race to claim his first victory of 2010 by over thirteen seconds.

Dunford continues to make strides each weekend out and taking on the challenging Grange circuit went well for the young SoCal driver. In qualifying, Dunford was just a tick off the fast lap of the session to sit third in the order. Getting a great jump at the drop of the green, Dunford ran second for most of the first heat until losing the spot on the white flag lap. Dunford would have to watch the second heat from the sidelines as he retired following contact on the opening lap. The DNF put Dunford at the back of the field for the main event. Getting off the line clean and avoiding any trouble, Dunford was up to third the first time across the stripe. Keeping pace with the leader and the point leader, Dunford put in a solid performance to score the third position and his second podium on the year. The results on the day keep Dunford well into the point chase with three races to go.

One of the most popular and challenging categories in the ProKart Challenge South program is the S4 category. The Aluminos squad has found success there in the last few years and continues to provide drivers with the right equipment to run up front. Phil Dunford continues to impress each time on the track and did just that by recording the second fastest lap in qualifying. Jonathon Allen also made one of his best qualifying efforts to sit seventh while former class winner Peter Workum struggled back in ninth. Dunford was a solid third in the opening heat until getting shuffled back to sixth in the final circuit. Workum was one driver able to get by as he charged up to fifth while Allen fell to ninth in the order. Contact would eliminate two of the Aluminos drivers in the opening lap of Heat 2 as both Dunford and Allen would be involved. Workum would continue on, falling back early on and finishing seventh. Both Workum and Dunford teamed up to move forward in the 20-lap feature event. Running sixth and seventh, Workum tried to gain one more position however contact was made. The result put Workum off track and at the back of the field while Dunford capitalized to move up fifth. Dunford held on to record his second straight top-five finish. Workum eventually finishing 11th, while Allen got hit in the rear and spun off on the opening lap forcing a come from behind run in 10th.

Aluminos newcomer Todd Wilson contested his second race with the squad in the S3 Stock Moto Novice category. Learning more each weekend working with the Aluminos driver coaches and technical staff, Wilson is adapting to the sport quickly. Wilson finished fifth on the day in class, taking the checkered flag in each session with no issues.

Leaving the race track with wins is always great, stated Aluminos manager Rob Soares. Im happy to win in my race but more happy for Fernando to score his second win and Brad with another podium. Our S4 drivers once again showed they have the speed, we just ran into some tough racing luck. As we keep winning, we position ourselves into the points chase in different categories, which illustrates our abilities here at Aluminos.

The Team Aluminos squad will now focus their attention on another conquest, the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour.